Had my 16 voice for almost a year. On the one hand, it can do anything you envision; on the other hand, no one knows what's it's truly capable of (the modulation matrix is, let's just say, obscenely flexible). I purchased it with the understanding that I would study it for life.
That’s a good way to look at it. I invested half it’s price in other Moog gear and I plan to fix them if they break. Hence life learning. I can see the value in Moog One for sure. It’s no joke. Most Moog output signals are one of its own. They just deliver a great sound that I like. If you have any recorded music online you care to share, please do. Would love to hear what people make with it.
I’ve been watching sonic state for at least 5 years, and for all the hours of entertainment Nick Batt has given, I would love it if there was a fundraiser. If everyone who has watched this video put in 50p we could buy Nick a 16 voice. If every sonicstate subscriber threw in, we’d all only have to put in around 6p each. Would anyone else throw in?
I don't think he is the patreon type. I tried to setup a gofundme but was having difficulty with it being a UK based recipient while I'm in Australia. Will keep trying, or if anybody is UK based and wants to help with setup that'd be ace!
A quick warning: after the monster mono patch demo my iPad was vibrating so heavily that it synced with the fundamental cosmic string substrate of the universe causing the spontaneous generation of a dark matter singularity and local space-time reality oscillations. Everything’s back to normal now (I hope) but be careful.
@@ruffiankick Good to hear! I've only piddled around for a little with it, but now that winter is here I'll have a lot more time to dig in deep and learn what it's got. What genre are you using it in?
@@athopi dope! i use it for Modern Funk & hip-hop (nothing trap, mostly Underground style) . i love its versatility. i have it paired with the Behringer Model D.
I've heard one in person twice. One in a store with some small monitors - sounded great. The second one in a home studio, with proper monitors and subs.... it's indescribable. The walls were shaking with each chord. It's LOUD, and it's T H I C K. I'll most likely never have one, let alone be able to really explore one if I ever do, but it sounds incredible. Moog really created a masterpiece of a synth here.
From about 17:40 it delivered the Tomita tingle. Now lets just consider that Tomita achieved his epic ensemble sounds using monophonic modular Moogs and multitrack tape in the ‘70s with no digital help at all. What a brilliant artist. Sensible demo, thanks Nick.
This is a beautiful instrument. Sound Designers, film score composers, professional recording studios & music directors for major touring acts are the target markets for the Moog One. As a Moog owner, I’m not surprised that the One sounds so good.
Recently purchased an 8 voice (best I could afford). It's definitely big sounding . . . but potential buyers should be aware that it does not really sound like a Memorymoog (and I have first hand experience). This is probably what most are expecting. Don't get me wrong . . . it's a 24 VCO synth (or 48 VCO's for the 16 voice model), so you can certainly do huge, warm analog sounds . . . but it has it's own thing going on sound-wise. As Nick mentions, it's output is incredibly hot, so you have to be careful with the master volume (and you can see Nick making adjustments as he demos it). It's a super deep instrument, and I've only had mine for a couple of months so I'm just scratching the surface of what it's capable of. Overall quite happy with it. Just wish I could've afforded the 16 voice, but I would've had to sell off too much of my studio to make that happen!
cardboarddog2010 I have the 16 and I actually feel like I would have been fine with the 8. The Quantum and Prophet X are only 8 voices in stereo, also.
Lucky man! The Matriarch will be my next synth. It will fit well with my Granny, two Mothers & DFAM. From bottom to top, Moog’s complement each other well.
I also went for the Matriarch. Went to a rather big piano shop (looking for a good keybed 88 controller or digital piano and am either going with the VPC-1 or a Nord Grand) and they had the Moog One. While it is an impressive and beautiful machine in its own right, I'd rather have the Matriarch (which I do, hehe, and lemme tell you, it oozes character and inspiration), a DAW, the Ventris or something by Eventide or Strymon, a master keyboard, an audio interface, maybe a workstation and a pc while we're at it and still be far away from reaching the price of the One. To each their own and I'm happy for the owners of the One, but it's simply not worth it for me. Also the keyboard is rather peculiar on the One, haven't seen one like this yet. Don't know if Nick states this, haven't seen the video yet.
Every time I hear it, I think "ok...yeah...maybe it's worth the price" and it inches up on my gearlust list. Then I calculate what all else I could buy for the same $8,000 and it falls back down a couple notches. It can sound sooooo nice though...
@@SPAZZOID100 James...almost didn't recognize you with the new icon/name. Did you snag a Matriarch? I do think it sounds great, but it's a little pricier than I'd want to shell out. Might try to snag one used in the future. Still digging your Murmux v2?
$8000 will get you about 4.5 years worth of cigarettes, if you live where they're cheap and smoke a pack a day. So if you're a non-smoker and play it every day for 5 years, you've actually spent less on the Moog One than a pack-a-day smoker spends on giving himself lung cancer.
I've seen a fair number of reviews of this synth ... and they've all left me cold and wondering why anyone would pay that much for a very average sounding synth ... this however brings the sound out and for the first time it sounds huge, wonderful and rich ... kinda tempted now!
Nicks videos are the best. I can't afford a synth like this nor do I need one. But I enjoyed watching this video. Awesome job, Nick and Moog. Keep on exploring
I'd really like to hear more FM. The One has some special precise oscillators that should make nice sounding analog FM possible, really curious what that sounds like.
Great vid as always... it truly is gorgeous! A fourth digital or wave table oscillator would have been nice to add something a lot different - I’m probably alone on that - I wish I could afford it
There is an external in and a midi out. Oscillators are the easiest component to add in a setup! Patches should be in sync due to Program Change. And if the Moog One sends Sysex patch save messages, a blofeld or a virus will save the patch when you save on the moog as well!
The only concern i have about that beautiful synth is that moogs are all smd. So if you buy that expensive synth you'd expect it to last for long long time. But it is too hard to maintenance.
You should use the LFO's (key synced) to control the levels of each oscillator. So if you play a chord note by note, depending on when you press the note you can create your own arppegiations to taste.
Great review as always Nick. You really are my favourite RUclipsr. I'm going to make a confession which makes me sound like a total c**t but hear me out.... I bought a Moog Voyager XL a few years ago when I came into a bit of cash. I didn't know much about synths at the time - had learnt on a Juno 6 - but was persuaded by the Sound on Sound review that 'this is the only synth you'll ever need to buy'. Now don't get me wrong, it's an amazing sounding thing. I love it. But I use it far less than I do many of my other synths. Sadly it's ended up too often being a bit of a superexpensive midi controller! I love Moog as a company and I love what they are trying to do. I cannot say a bad thing about them. However, there is something about their synths which is kind of 'muscle car'. They're completely OP. I'm completely sold on your review of this and it's infinite potential but I find the sounds you made in the video almost 'too big' if that makes sense. It sounds ostentatious, which given its price tag, it is. Its interesting to compare this to your review of the OB6 (which I bought after viewing). I find that synth so much more soulful an usable than I do the Moog VXL. I want my synths to be able to create beauty, subtlety, surprise, funk, and weirdness. The sounds that transport me when I'm listening or on the dancefloor. When I listen to the Moog One in this review I feel like I'm going to end up making Rick Wakeman 20 minute portentous synth solos not like I'm going to want to dance or have my emotions moved to a different place. Maybe it's just me but it seems too often that the more you spend on a synth the further you can get away from music that anyone would want to dance or listen to (Vangelis and the CS80 excluded!). Some of my favourite sounds and tracks have been made with some of the cheapest, simplest, and most overlooked synths and drum machines. Limitations can be a gift to creativity. A small function set can actually maximise the creativity of the player. Big is definitely, not always better. I like to use synths I can rest on my lap, that I can tweak and play like a guitar. Moogs are like fucking cathedral organs! I just don't feel like I can get close and intimate with my Moog VXL. Too often I feel like it's playing me, more than I'm playing it. Like I said, I love Moog, they're a brilliant company full of wonderful, genuine and dedicated people. I should add that they've been superb with me on any service issues and I respect them hugely. But I sometimes feel like this desire to create the 'ultimate' can end up taking them further away from musicians and music that anyone would want to listen to. Most of the people who drive supercars are wankers. I hope that the buyers of the Moog One prove me that this maxim doesn't apply to supersynths....
just came to this from a Prophet 10 vs Moog 1 at Andertons....kind of a of agree with you . Having started with a CS30 mono synth in the 80s and had the pleasure of the progress of technology....adding polyphony, sampling and realistic sounds ending with a studio in the late 90s. having the limitations meant you got the most out of any piece of gear. I was trading synths then, buying all the analogues I dreamed of as a kid with the emergence of digital. I kept them for a bit, recorded and sussed them out: then traded them on when I found something juicy in the used columns or readers ads. So I have had a fk load of synths! There is a massive potential here which i am sure can be used well, beautiful depth. But 48 osc with 4 lfos has potentially so much movement and complexity that can overwhelm the ears and easily overwhelm a track...Matt Johnson/ Jamiriquai was great with it on his channel. I was drawn to the beauty and simplicity of the Prophet 10...with the aftertouch and velocity it would be the bees knees recording and performing! Well that's my take anyhows.
@@bluehole6019 I have a Prophet 10, a Moog One 16v and a Polybrute as my polysynths (with mono duties handled by a Moog grandmother, minimoog model D and. Sequential Pro 3 SE). I only mention this, not to show off, but to give you an idea that I’m able to give you a fair assessment of their differences. While I don’t have an OB-X8 I think that that serves a similar purpose to the Prophet 10. Very different tones, but both classic in their own way. And somewhat limited yet simple and still capable of quite interesting modulations. They are both great if you want that vintage tone. The Moog One is just out of this world as a modern interpretation of what an analogue synth can be. It might not have quite the individual character of an OB-X8 or P10 but can get very loose and do an awful lot more. No other modern analog synth can touch the Moog one for what it can do but, while it’s an incredibly intuitive design, it isn’t as immediately gratifying as either the P10 or OB-X8. If you want immediate vintage 80’s tone, go for either of them. If you want a forever synth that can do modern and vintage, go for the Moog One. Put simply, if I was forced to sell everything and could only keep one, it would be the Moog One. Don’t overlook the Poly brute though. It’s amazing and can do double duty too. The implementation, mod matrix and expressive controls are fantastic.
Yes! I've dabbled with one for aa little bit in the store. Just has an amazing feel to it.. one of the few instances when I would definitely say it's actually just worth the money. Just make sure that you are gonna get some work as a sound designer , musician or recording engineer with it...
It's a no brainer for professionals, and it's really abordable for amateurs, when you compare to other hobbies. Eg. $8000 is about only 16 Märklin trains (a loco + a few wagon is about $500). $8000 is not even 1 fifth the price of a Tesla car! $8000 is 1000 beers, less than 300 days without beer and you get your Moog One! $8000 is barely a flight simulator station (high end computer + 3 big screens + VR + Thrustmaster joysticks + software), $8000 is really nothing nowadays.
informatimago “affordable for amatures” “$8000 is nothing these days” hahaha ho are you Donald Trump? I mean it’s fucking ridiculous. Hahaha that’s like almost an entire year of income for me if I never spent any on groceries or other necessities at all. And you think it’s affordable for amatures. Hahaha maybe amature engineers or something, but not amature musicians.
Hey Nick! Lovely to see you finally got one to demo. I've owned the 16 voice since April. Only issues I have is the latency between patch selection and how long the indicator LED's take to catch up with your button selection. I've spoken to Moog and they say they will eventually address this. As for the whole, it is a Dream synth to add to my massive studio! Rix :)
A few items that Nick should comment on: the synth architecture is fairly simple, but the complexity in sound comes when you layer synth engines in the Moog One. Therefore it is interesting to understand how polyphony plays out as one creates more layers/patches - a good topic for anyone considering the 8 vs 16 voice model.
gwinerreniwg if you expect to use all three layers with intensive poly usage often then you really do need the 16v. Control of the voice assignments among the three timbres is flexible and complete.
Oooh! Me wantee dat haha! What a great sounding synth. If I was serious about buying one, I think I'd wait a year or two for Moog to work out any bugs there might be in the firmware.
I'd love to hear some more really big pads with complex evolution/modulation in them, more akin to your Atmos patch and what you played around 17:52. Personally, I'm not interested in the territory already covered by monos, or by proggy/compy keys like what Moog often demos themselves. I AM interested in that poly pad space between the classic Oberheims and the poly moogs, with modern modulation. BTW, the keybed looks like it may be the same one that's on the Schmidt. I tried it (on the Moog) briefly at Knobcon and found that it just felt weird. I imagine you get used to it.
I’d like to see at least 2, if not more, Friday Funs with it. Solo and paired with something complimentary. Proof is in the pudding, and Friday Funs are the pudding.
It sounds like it could be the centrepiece of any synth-based studio. Some of the pads & plucks played here are quite lovely. But I keep waiting to hear the Mini-type bass & lead sounds that _rearrange your guts_. So far I haven't gotten that experience from any Moog One demos I've heard. So for me, the jury's still out.
this thing is impressive as hell, but i really wish that it had that too. (though i’m certainly not looking to buy one anyway right now 🤣) though i understand it might not be feasible cost and manufacturing-wise. i heard they might implement external poly after touch capabilities with a firmware update, though.
Soundwise its not up there with the Ob-6, but with all the modulation possibilities; this is the only synth you'll need to do it all. Luckily for we who can´t afford it, software is getting so good these days that most won´t hear the difference if you know what you do.
It looks really easy to program and assign modulation source and destination. 3 synths layers. 48 Osc. multiple LFOs, filters galore. Expensive but they throw in quite a lot of synth power. It's like buying a large instrument like buying a piano, or B3 organ. This would look great next to a large format vintage analog console.
Such a powerful, beautiful sonic monster! I'd love to own one, 8 voices would work out just fine for me. 16 voices would rock though! A++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I don’t know that I can ever figure out how to justify $8000 for this synth but after hearing it and seeing what it is like, it actually almost makes sense. Amazing sounds. Great review.
Thanks for exploring this amazing synth Nick! Could you talk more about how the gain staging works? For instance, when you put all 48 voices into unison is it 48 times louder? I’d like to hear some sounds you’ve designed without the effects. Just the raw synth. I love the looping abilities the Sub 37 has. Does the Moog One have similar options? Can you stack 16 voices to play different pitches? So when you play one note the synth plays a 16 note chord? Or some variation on that theme... I have some many questions but I’ll stop there. Thanks! Looking forward to the next review.
I wasn't expecting to like it because it's so over-the-top, but wow, that thing sounds dreamy. Something I'd like to see demonstrated is just some maniacal modulation madness using all 4 LFO's and all 48 oscillators at once. I bet that could create some awesomely gnarly noises.
I'm a bit late to the party here! Nick, how long do yo get to hang onto it? Can you walk us through building some patches from scratch? Maybe a simple one and a super complex one?
Let's face it, it's a synth heads dream synth for life, I would take one of these over all the other synths in my studio in a heart beat, I love the sound of it, shame these things are just way way out of reach cost wise.
I took all the course offerings at university back in 1972-73, the horse 'n buggy era, and the late Paul Palombo was the prof. He would not allow us to attach a keyboard as that would render the Arp and Electro-Comp synths we had as, ugh! mere organs. This is the synth we dreamed of then and so it really does appear to be 'the pinnacle of synthesizers' - and thank you Nick for the intro. I could listen to more... please. I wonder how it stands up to Sequential and Access Virus.
It'd be difficult to compare to a Virus. They're very, very different... But on that note, I'm really looking forward to seeing how the Kyra stacks up against a Virus.
You got some great sounds out of it, what a great demo! Talking about the Jupiter 8 comparison, I didn't entirely get the spread option. Are you able to pan some voices left and right to create that Jupiter-8 style stereo unison sound?
Forget the pre sets that are available for the Moog One for moment the synth is still a very new a product but i suspect their will be lots to come in the futer ! The Moog One really is about designing creating your own sounds, after owning the Moog One for a few weeks it is with out any doubt a very beautiful instrument that is extremely well thought out and extremely well built and to be honest it is hands down the best polyphonic synth i have ever ever used and i have used quite a lot of the vintage and new Synths , sure it may seem like a lot of money to most people and believe me i was one of those good people, but like i said you get what you pay for and that is a 1st class user interface and the sound that can be achieved from the Moog one is nothing short of stunning it is a performers, sound designers dream machine. Is it worth the 8k yes absolutely.
Would like to hear if it can do some of that really heavy moogy Switched On Bach type of sounds, or some Kraftwerk, Tomita, Neuman, Genesis, Rush and Styx flavors.
Me too, all the patches I've heard soun00d very 80's or even digital which is fine of course. My impression though is that the signal path of this beast is not any more sophisticated than the mono moogs, and an ARP 2600 type could do more
davetbassbos thinking the same .....I have the matriarch and couldn’t be happier it sounds fantastic old school moog ...i am not hearing 8k justification here though ....I am sure in person it’s amazing but ...
I've heard owners say that it's really hard to mix and needs to be aggressively EQ'ed if it is to coexist with anything but itself. Do you find this to be true at all?
why not to use built-in EQs? It probably has such FXs. Generally... what to expect from a real production work? You _need_ to use EQs and dynamics almost everywhere.
I just bought the 8 voice but can return it and get the 16 voice for $1500 more. Should I do it? I really don’t understand what the differences are beside larger chords. I can’t play 16 voice chords though and don’t usually play 8 voice chords.
Hey Nick, Great stuff as always. It might be cool to make use of those send/returns with a preamp or drive pedal as a way to introduce some pre filter drive. I don't think anyone's tried that yet.
Nick summed it up..”dream synth” check! ...”say it excessive etc but we’re just jealous cause can’t afford it....” correct !( applies to me anyway). My tiny gripe for this unobtainable synth is I actually don’t really like the look of it ( seems like an odd mixture of modern but with retro wood etc) I actually wish it looked more like the memory moog.). Regardless of cosmetics, Its certainly is fair to call it the pinnacle of analogue synthesis. (I almost wrote “summit”☺️) ......BTW I got big laugh out of the PWM shirt 😂 ( can you buy them??)
just came to mind an idea where you do exact same settings on another polysynth and listen to differences. but honestly have no serious questions since i will never own one of these.
Nick, In your more detailed look can you please discuss the viability of the 8 voice vs 16? Is it really, like some commentators suggest, a question of buy the 16 or forget it? How complex can sounds really get with the 8 voice and still be able to play chords? I have seen a couple of 8 voice synths on the second hand market recently so I am wondering how limiting they really are. The problem is, everyone reviews with the 16 voice version and I am yet to see or hear the 8 voice’s potential
Why do they place displays the farthest from the keyboard and the farthest away from our eyes? The Korg Wave and Mod State position the same. The JupiterX the same. IF I am laboring over a display for any time, I don't want to be reaching out, extending my arms to control it and have all the tiny details on the screen the farthest away. There must be a reason for why this design, just doesn't make sense to me.
"IT IS NOT ART TO BE GOOD ON THE WRONG SIDE" Waking up people 70 years ago on the radio invented your grandparents to Owens in Aush witz Camp and you are still listening to TV, Do you dont think at all
I got to play one of these and see one being made in the Moog factory in Asheville and it’s... amazing. I used to be like “$8000 is that really worth it?” I think it is now. I can’t afford one but damn...
Omg I’ve never seen him so choked up and nervous about a synth I love it
Hm that maybe b/c his insurance doesn't cover it ;-)
holy shit, virtual riot 🤣 you’re probably one of the reasons i’m a synth nerd now. had no idea you watched these types of vids too.
@@valeriegrey8328 Of course he does, he's a music nerd just like us. Difference is he's a lot better at it lol.
It's an 8 thousand pound Synth, and it costs a lot too...
Most $3,000 synths sound better.
@@SPAZZOID100 Which ones? I would love to buy one. And it would be great if you could explain what you mean with "better":
Had my 16 voice for almost a year. On the one hand, it can do anything you envision; on the other hand, no one knows what's it's truly capable of (the modulation matrix is, let's just say, obscenely flexible). I purchased it with the understanding that I would study it for life.
Hence the price
That’s a good way to look at it. I invested half it’s price in other Moog gear and I plan to fix them if they break. Hence life learning. I can see the value in Moog One for sure. It’s no joke. Most Moog output signals are one of its own. They just deliver a great sound that I like. If you have any recorded music online you care to share, please do. Would love to hear what people make with it.
reiss philippe Can do anything. Except produce an impressive TONE.
Blue Skys The one lacks character in tone.
Spazzoid Studio I’m not really hearing that, but then again I’m listening threw RUclips audio compression. I’ve never heard one in person.
I’ve been watching sonic state for at least 5 years, and for all the hours of entertainment Nick Batt has given, I would love it if there was a fundraiser. If everyone who has watched this video put in 50p we could buy Nick a 16 voice. If every sonicstate subscriber threw in, we’d all only have to put in around 6p each. Would anyone else throw in?
Sixxdb see if you can get him on to Patreon
I'm totally up for this... Nick is a treasure to the global synth community
I'd pitch in. C'mon, Nick!
I don't think he is the patreon type. I tried to setup a gofundme but was having difficulty with it being a UK based recipient while I'm in Australia. Will keep trying, or if anybody is UK based and wants to help with setup that'd be ace!
A quick warning: after the monster mono patch demo my iPad was vibrating so heavily that it synced with the fundamental cosmic string substrate of the universe causing the spontaneous generation of a dark matter singularity and local space-time reality oscillations. Everything’s back to normal now (I hope) but be careful.
Love this...any updates on how things are going?
Me saving for a arturia minilab mk2
lol... no doubt... just 10 more monthly payments on my Gaia...
one payment left on my Ultranova, yaaay
@@athopi i have the gaia, youre gonna love it dude!
@@ruffiankick Good to hear! I've only piddled around for a little with it, but now that winter is here I'll have a lot more time to dig in deep and learn what it's got. What genre are you using it in?
@@athopi dope! i use it for Modern Funk & hip-hop (nothing trap, mostly Underground style) . i love its versatility. i have it paired with the Behringer Model D.
When it came out I looked at the price through Solar Eclipse glasses, bracing for the bad news radiation blast. I was annihilated anyway.
I was recently at Moog HQ working on a project with them and lucky enough to play the Moog One and the 3P in their labs. Absolutely amazing!
I've heard one in person twice. One in a store with some small monitors - sounded great. The second one in a home studio, with proper monitors and subs.... it's indescribable. The walls were shaking with each chord. It's LOUD, and it's T H I C K. I'll most likely never have one, let alone be able to really explore one if I ever do, but it sounds incredible. Moog really created a masterpiece of a synth here.
„The huge vastness Of this thing“
If there's such a thing as the afterlife and eternity. I'll spend the first million years exploring this.
Just got my 16 voice after 3 years of dreaming of it. It’s wonderful.
That thick line of wood between the keyboard and the controls looks like it's missing a ribbon controller...
Someone at MOOG just said sh*t....I knew we forgot something!
Not their style
you can still rub it :)
Man, the Human League and Depeche Mode didn't need no stinking ribbon controller.
@@strangequark420 Nobody needs a ribbon controller - just like nobody needs a Moog.
From about 17:40 it delivered the Tomita tingle. Now lets just consider that Tomita achieved his epic ensemble sounds using monophonic modular Moogs and multitrack tape in the ‘70s with no digital help at all. What a brilliant artist. Sensible demo, thanks Nick.
A Synth is not reviewed until Nick does it. 👍🏻
And it STILL suxx.
This is a beautiful instrument. Sound Designers, film score composers, professional recording studios & music directors for major touring acts are the target markets for the Moog One. As a Moog owner, I’m not surprised that the One sounds so good.
We just got one! Can’t wait to really dive into it.
this thing sounds unbelievably massive. i'm kind of in disbelief, it seems just totally larger than life
Recently purchased an 8 voice (best I could afford). It's definitely big sounding . . . but potential buyers should be aware that it does not really sound like a Memorymoog (and I have first hand experience). This is probably what most are expecting. Don't get me wrong . . . it's a 24 VCO synth (or 48 VCO's for the 16 voice model), so you can certainly do huge, warm analog sounds . . . but it has it's own thing going on sound-wise. As Nick mentions, it's output is incredibly hot, so you have to be careful with the master volume (and you can see Nick making adjustments as he demos it). It's a super deep instrument, and I've only had mine for a couple of months so I'm just scratching the surface of what it's capable of. Overall quite happy with it. Just wish I could've afforded the 16 voice, but I would've had to sell off too much of my studio to make that happen!
cardboarddog2010 I have the 16 and I actually feel like I would have been fine with the 8. The Quantum and Prophet X are only 8 voices in stereo, also.
z not to my ears.
Just dished 2 grand on the Matriarch, why am I watching a video on a 8 grand synth. Moog, that’s why.
Matriarch has WAY more character than this.
@@SPAZZOID100 agreed. i'm not much for workstations. thats not to say this isn't a very impressive piece of gear though, just isn't for me personally
Lucky man! The Matriarch will be my next synth. It will fit well with my Granny, two Mothers & DFAM. From bottom to top, Moog’s complement each other well.
I also went for the Matriarch. Went to a rather big piano shop (looking for a good keybed 88 controller or digital piano and am either going with the VPC-1 or a Nord Grand) and they had the Moog One. While it is an impressive and beautiful machine in its own right, I'd rather have the Matriarch (which I do, hehe, and lemme tell you, it oozes character and inspiration), a DAW, the Ventris or something by Eventide or Strymon, a master keyboard, an audio interface, maybe a workstation and a pc while we're at it and still be far away from reaching the price of the One. To each their own and I'm happy for the owners of the One, but it's simply not worth it for me.
Also the keyboard is rather peculiar on the One, haven't seen one like this yet. Don't know if Nick states this, haven't seen the video yet.
Admit it! You really NEED both! I knew I really wanted one as soon as I heard about before I read the specs
Every time I hear it, I think "ok...yeah...maybe it's worth the price" and it inches up on my gearlust list. Then I calculate what all else I could buy for the same $8,000 and it falls back down a couple notches. It can sound sooooo nice though...
It’s not great sounding like the Matriarch.
@@SPAZZOID100 James...almost didn't recognize you with the new icon/name. Did you snag a Matriarch? I do think it sounds great, but it's a little pricier than I'd want to shell out. Might try to snag one used in the future. Still digging your Murmux v2?
ProckGnosis yep
Spazzoid Studio and a Vermona perfourmer sounds better than either.
$8000 will get you about 4.5 years worth of cigarettes, if you live where they're cheap and smoke a pack a day. So if you're a non-smoker and play it every day for 5 years, you've actually spent less on the Moog One than a pack-a-day smoker spends on giving himself lung cancer.
I've seen a fair number of reviews of this synth ... and they've all left me cold and wondering why anyone would pay that much for a very average sounding synth ... this however brings the sound out and for the first time it sounds huge, wonderful and rich ... kinda tempted now!
yeah we need more of this stuff nick :)
this thing is a beast
loving the PWM T-shirt :)
Nicks videos are the best. I can't afford a synth like this nor do I need one. But I enjoyed watching this video. Awesome job, Nick and Moog. Keep on exploring
19:11 The Moog One is as much as a car. You can drive your car but you can overdrive a Moog One.
1st class synth throughout!! Brilliant video as well!
I'd really like to hear more FM. The One has some special precise oscillators that should make nice sounding analog FM possible, really curious what that sounds like.
You ask what we would want to know in another, later video. Well I have no clue, how 'bout you just noodle on it for like 30-40 minutes?
MrBarlien yes!
I'd really just like an additional 30 minutes of just Nick noodling through patches pls.
I second this motion.
I hoped this would happen, Nick and Moog One, and it was worth waiting! I hope this will be the first of a series of Moog One dedicated videos.
Great vid as always... it truly is gorgeous!
A fourth digital or wave table oscillator would have been nice to add something a lot different - I’m probably alone on that - I wish I could afford it
There is an external in and a midi out. Oscillators are the easiest component to add in a setup! Patches should be in sync due to Program Change. And if the Moog One sends Sysex patch save messages, a blofeld or a virus will save the patch when you save on the moog as well!
seeyouintheeighties that’s heresy :-)
The only concern i have about that beautiful synth is that moogs are all smd. So if you buy that expensive synth you'd expect it to last for long long time. But it is too hard to maintenance.
Smd isn't too hard, I just tried it as a hobby and found it fairly easy.
You should use the LFO's (key synced) to control the levels of each oscillator. So if you play a chord note by note, depending on when you press the note you can create your own arppegiations to taste.
Apart from it's esthetics - not as impressive as a Solaris - but still swapping my JP8 for one is a tempting thought.
Great review as always Nick. You really are my favourite RUclipsr.
I'm going to make a confession which makes me sound like a total c**t but hear me out....
I bought a Moog Voyager XL a few years ago when I came into a bit of cash. I didn't know much about synths at the time - had learnt on a Juno 6 - but was persuaded by the Sound on Sound review that 'this is the only synth you'll ever need to buy'. Now don't get me wrong, it's an amazing sounding thing. I love it. But I use it far less than I do many of my other synths. Sadly it's ended up too often being a bit of a superexpensive midi controller!
I love Moog as a company and I love what they are trying to do. I cannot say a bad thing about them. However, there is something about their synths which is kind of 'muscle car'. They're completely OP.
I'm completely sold on your review of this and it's infinite potential but I find the sounds you made in the video almost 'too big' if that makes sense. It sounds ostentatious, which given its price tag, it is. Its interesting to compare this to your review of the OB6 (which I bought after viewing). I find that synth so much more soulful an usable than I do the Moog VXL. I want my synths to be able to create beauty, subtlety, surprise, funk, and weirdness. The sounds that transport me when I'm listening or on the dancefloor.
When I listen to the Moog One in this review I feel like I'm going to end up making Rick Wakeman 20 minute portentous synth solos not like I'm going to want to dance or have my emotions moved to a different place.
Maybe it's just me but it seems too often that the more you spend on a synth the further you can get away from music that anyone would want to dance or listen to (Vangelis and the CS80 excluded!). Some of my favourite sounds and tracks have been made with some of the cheapest, simplest, and most overlooked synths and drum machines. Limitations can be a gift to creativity. A small function set can actually maximise the creativity of the player. Big is definitely, not always better. I like to use synths I can rest on my lap, that I can tweak and play like a guitar. Moogs are like fucking cathedral organs! I just don't feel like I can get close and intimate with my Moog VXL. Too often I feel like it's playing me, more than I'm playing it.
Like I said, I love Moog, they're a brilliant company full of wonderful, genuine and dedicated people. I should add that they've been superb with me on any service issues and I respect them hugely. But I sometimes feel like this desire to create the 'ultimate' can end up taking them further away from musicians and music that anyone would want to listen to. Most of the people who drive supercars are wankers. I hope that the buyers of the Moog One prove me that this maxim doesn't apply to supersynths....
just came to this from a Prophet 10 vs Moog 1 at Andertons....kind of a of agree with you . Having started with a CS30 mono synth in the 80s and had the pleasure of the progress of technology....adding polyphony, sampling and realistic sounds ending with a studio in the late 90s. having the limitations meant you got the most out of any piece of gear. I was trading synths then, buying all the analogues I dreamed of as a kid with the emergence of digital. I kept them for a bit, recorded and sussed them out: then traded them on when I found something juicy in the used columns or readers ads. So I have had a fk load of synths!
There is a massive potential here which i am sure can be used well, beautiful depth. But 48 osc with 4 lfos has potentially so much movement and complexity that can overwhelm the ears and easily overwhelm a track...Matt Johnson/ Jamiriquai was great with it on his channel.
I was drawn to the beauty and simplicity of the Prophet 10...with the aftertouch and velocity it would be the bees knees recording and performing! Well that's my take anyhows.
This synth is like one of those things you really do dream about, I know that I really do want one and I will find a way.
I am the same. I just finally got one!
@@final_mile_music9713 how do you like it so far? I’m saving up for a really good polysynth and I’m between this and the Prophet 10 or OB-X8
@@bluehole6019 I have a Prophet 10, a Moog One 16v and a Polybrute as my polysynths (with mono duties handled by a Moog grandmother, minimoog model D and. Sequential Pro 3 SE). I only mention this, not to show off, but to give you an idea that I’m able to give you a fair assessment of their differences. While I don’t have an OB-X8 I think that that serves a similar purpose to the Prophet 10. Very different tones, but both classic in their own way. And somewhat limited yet simple and still capable of quite interesting modulations. They are both great if you want that vintage tone. The Moog One is just out of this world as a modern interpretation of what an analogue synth can be. It might not have quite the individual character of an OB-X8 or P10 but can get very loose and do an awful lot more. No other modern analog synth can touch the Moog one for what it can do but, while it’s an incredibly intuitive design, it isn’t as immediately gratifying as either the P10 or OB-X8. If you want immediate vintage 80’s tone, go for either of them. If you want a forever synth that can do modern and vintage, go for the Moog One. Put simply, if I was forced to sell everything and could only keep one, it would be the Moog One. Don’t overlook the Poly brute though. It’s amazing and can do double duty too. The implementation, mod matrix and expressive controls are fantastic.
Finally a video showing the Moog One in the right way. Thanks!
great job, nick! really enjoyed it.
Yes! I've dabbled with one for aa little bit in the store. Just has an amazing feel to it.. one of the few instances when I would definitely say it's actually just worth the money. Just make sure that you are gonna get some work as a sound designer , musician or recording engineer with it...
Nice job Nick. I played one at the factory store and couldn’t really figure it out, but loved the sounds. Thanks for demystifying it a little!
NICK, upon seeing this in the studio was your first thought "wow, what a lovely PWM machine"?
Do they accept a kidney as a method of payment?
It's a no brainer for professionals, and it's really abordable for amateurs, when you compare to other hobbies.
Eg. $8000 is about only 16 Märklin trains (a loco + a few wagon is about $500).
$8000 is not even 1 fifth the price of a Tesla car!
$8000 is 1000 beers, less than 300 days without beer and you get your Moog One!
$8000 is barely a flight simulator station (high end computer + 3 big screens + VR + Thrustmaster joysticks + software),
$8000 is really nothing nowadays.
informatimago “affordable for amatures” “$8000 is nothing these days” hahaha ho are you Donald Trump? I mean it’s fucking ridiculous. Hahaha that’s like almost an entire year of income for me if I never spent any on groceries or other necessities at all. And you think it’s affordable for amatures. Hahaha maybe amature engineers or something, but not amature musicians.
informatimago Speak for yourself, but 8k is 16 months of rent in my world. Not saying this is too expensive, it’s reasonably priced.
@@XanderEwald I'd rathere prefer to have a roof over my head for 16 months
Hahaha 2 x kidneys and a liver with a down payment of a lung..other than that you’re good to go ~
Waiting for the Behringer version.
richardincam
I hope you live long enough.
Mygod, you are so funny
John Adams This synth is bettered by a lot of synths.
@@SPAZZOID100 James Reeno, you forgot your usual comment about your OB-6 sounding better
richardincam would probably sound way better too.
Nick, that was lovely. I've bought two -- so we'll both have one! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ... *whew*
Nick Batt - the proper boffin to review the Moog One. This is going to be epic. With lots of PWM.
Hey Nick! Lovely to see you finally got one to demo. I've owned the 16 voice since April. Only issues I have is the latency between patch selection and how long the indicator LED's take to catch up with your button selection.
I've spoken to Moog and they say they will eventually address this. As for the whole, it is a Dream synth to add to my massive studio! Rix :)
rix com Hey Rix, where can we hear your music? Would love to hear some real world usage.
God, this sounds wonderful and God, Nick knows how to demonstrate that.
A few items that Nick should comment on: the synth architecture is fairly simple, but the complexity in sound comes when you layer synth engines in the Moog One. Therefore it is interesting to understand how polyphony plays out as one creates more layers/patches - a good topic for anyone considering the 8 vs 16 voice model.
gwinerreniwg if you expect to use all three layers with intensive poly usage often then you really do need the 16v. Control of the voice assignments among the three timbres is flexible and complete.
Looks like the sort of thing One could grow attached to.
Really looking forward to your next video on this synth. :)
Great thanks this for this Quick guide. Will receive mine one 16 next week we can start now directly when plugged in 😁🤘🏻
Looking forward to Behringer doing something similar for a fraction of the price.
They could call it the Behringer Won, lol.
@@gnarlysoundscapes7210 hahaha
the deep mind is pretty freaking amazing tbh
Reginald Bowls mehhh
Can you do some more exploration and overview of the unison detuning?
Oooh! Me wantee dat haha! What a great sounding synth. If I was serious about buying one, I think I'd wait a year or two for Moog to work out any bugs there might be in the firmware.
I'd love to hear some more really big pads with complex evolution/modulation in them, more akin to your Atmos patch and what you played around 17:52.
Personally, I'm not interested in the territory already covered by monos, or by proggy/compy keys like what Moog often demos themselves. I AM interested in that poly pad space between the classic Oberheims and the poly moogs, with modern modulation.
BTW, the keybed looks like it may be the same one that's on the Schmidt. I tried it (on the Moog) briefly at Knobcon and found that it just felt weird. I imagine you get used to it.
How was the low end tuning ? I had to send 3 of them back because the low end drifted up and down a semitone almost, even with V1.1.
I’d like to see at least 2, if not more, Friday Funs with it. Solo and paired with something complimentary. Proof is in the pudding, and Friday Funs are the pudding.
11:10 “This is your captain. We’re going down.”
Looks like a nice synth,
Not as exciting as the new TD-3 from Behringer, now that's an exciting synth
It sounds like it could be the centrepiece of any synth-based studio. Some of the pads & plucks played here are quite lovely. But I keep waiting to hear the Mini-type bass & lead sounds that _rearrange your guts_. So far I haven't gotten that experience from any Moog One demos I've heard. So for me, the jury's still out.
Great Nick, it’s a wonderful sound creation instrument- like a modular. Would be good to show the sequencer and the capability of having that * 3.
Question. How incredible wouldn't the moog one be with poly after-touch?
this thing is impressive as hell, but i really wish that it had that too. (though i’m certainly not looking to buy one anyway right now 🤣) though i understand it might not be feasible cost and manufacturing-wise. i heard they might implement external poly after touch capabilities with a firmware update, though.
Soundwise its not up there with the Ob-6, but with all the modulation possibilities; this is the only synth you'll need to do it all. Luckily for we who can´t afford it, software is getting so good these days that most won´t hear the difference if you know what you do.
Prefer the OB6 & SUPER-6.
Good review my master, now you have ultimate power, surrender to the Moog dark side...
To everyone commenting on the price, the Eventide FX alone are worth a few hundred USD at least. You can sell all your FX pedals, you won't need them.
All right!👌👍 I been wanting you guys to do something on the "Moog one" since it first came out a few months back!
It looks really easy to program and assign modulation source and destination. 3 synths layers. 48 Osc. multiple LFOs, filters galore. Expensive but they throw in quite a lot of synth power. It's like buying a large instrument like buying a piano, or B3 organ. This would look great next to a large format vintage analog console.
Such a powerful, beautiful sonic monster! I'd love to own one, 8 voices would work out just fine for me. 16 voices would rock though! A++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I don’t know that I can ever figure out how to justify $8000 for this synth but after hearing it and seeing what it is like, it actually almost makes sense. Amazing sounds. Great review.
Divinital not really.
Thanks for exploring this amazing synth Nick! Could you talk more about how the gain staging works? For instance, when you put all 48 voices into unison is it 48 times louder?
I’d like to hear some sounds you’ve designed without the effects. Just the raw synth.
I love the looping abilities the Sub 37 has. Does the Moog One have similar options?
Can you stack 16 voices to play different pitches? So when you play one note the synth plays a 16 note chord? Or some variation on that theme...
I have some many questions but I’ll stop there. Thanks! Looking forward to the next review.
I wasn't expecting to like it because it's so over-the-top, but wow, that thing sounds dreamy.
Something I'd like to see demonstrated is just some maniacal modulation madness using all 4 LFO's and all 48 oscillators at once. I bet that could create some awesomely gnarly noises.
and soundscapes
I agree, it is the "pinnacle" finally reached.
that outro sound fucking lovely thx nick
Imagine buying one of these and then in a year they release a slightly improved version.
Such as a white panel?
Electric Blue version
Escobar Manchulo Matriarch.
Tell me there's a fun Friday moog one edition in the works.
I'm a bit late to the party here!
Nick, how long do yo get to hang onto it? Can you walk us through building some patches from scratch? Maybe a simple one and a super complex one?
Let's face it, it's a synth heads dream synth for life, I would take one of these over all the other synths in my studio in a heart beat, I love the sound of it, shame these things are just way way out of reach cost wise.
Wow, massive sound!!!
I took all the course offerings at university back in 1972-73, the horse 'n buggy era, and the late Paul Palombo was the prof. He would not allow us to attach a keyboard as that would render the Arp and Electro-Comp synths we had as, ugh! mere organs. This is the synth we dreamed of then and so it really does appear to be 'the pinnacle of synthesizers' - and thank you Nick for the intro. I could listen to more... please. I wonder how it stands up to Sequential and Access Virus.
It'd be difficult to compare to a Virus. They're very, very different... But on that note, I'm really looking forward to seeing how the Kyra stacks up against a Virus.
You got some great sounds out of it, what a great demo! Talking about the Jupiter 8 comparison, I didn't entirely get the spread option. Are you able to pan some voices left and right to create that Jupiter-8 style stereo unison sound?
Forget the pre sets that are available for the Moog One for moment the synth is still a very new a product but i suspect their will be lots to come in the futer ! The Moog One really is about designing creating your own sounds, after owning the Moog One for a few weeks it is with out any doubt a very beautiful instrument that is extremely well thought out and extremely well built and to be honest it is hands down the best polyphonic synth i have ever ever used and i have used quite a lot of the vintage and new Synths , sure it may seem like a lot of money to most people and believe me i was one of those good people, but like i said you get what you pay for and that is a 1st class user interface and the sound that can be achieved from the Moog one is nothing short of stunning it is a performers, sound designers dream machine. Is it worth the 8k yes absolutely.
Finally! The perfect shirt for Nick!
Well perhaps apart from one saying "Sing-song harmonics..." 😜
Would like to hear if it can do some of that really heavy moogy Switched On Bach type of sounds, or some Kraftwerk, Tomita, Neuman, Genesis, Rush and Styx flavors.
Me too, all the patches I've heard soun00d very 80's or even digital which is fine of course. My impression though is that the signal path of this beast is not any more sophisticated than the mono moogs, and an ARP 2600 type could do more
davetbassbos thinking the same .....I have the matriarch and couldn’t be happier it sounds fantastic old school moog ...i am not hearing 8k justification here though ....I am sure in person it’s amazing but ...
buy a little phatty for that.
I've heard owners say that it's really hard to mix and needs to be aggressively EQ'ed if it is to coexist with anything but itself. Do you find this to be true at all?
Stelios86 probably, it’s super fat
Rafael Graterol nope. The Memorymoog is.
why not to use built-in EQs? It probably has such FXs. Generally... what to expect from a real production work? You _need_ to use EQs and dynamics almost everywhere.
I wouldn't be surprised. I find the same with the Schmidt Synthesizer. Those powerful analog synthesizers tend to fill the spectrum.
Spazzoid Studio This synth IS super fat, your entitled to think anything else sounds fatter. That’s your opinion.
So should we set up a goFundMe so Nick can afford to take a couple weeks off to do an album with this?
I just bought the 8 voice but can return it and get the 16 voice for $1500 more. Should I do it? I really don’t understand what the differences are beside larger chords. I can’t play 16 voice chords though and don’t usually play 8 voice chords.
This is ONE great synth. Sounds really great. This will be a collectable I think. In 20 years people will pay double to have one ; )
Synriser I think your right, I must own one
As long as they'll find ONE with the display still working.
Synriser nope
I will buy one of these beauties soon so excited to get my hands on one.
Hey Nick,
Great stuff as always.
It might be cool to make use of those send/returns with a preamp or drive pedal as a way to introduce some pre filter drive. I don't think anyone's tried that yet.
Nick summed it up..”dream synth” check! ...”say it excessive etc but we’re just jealous cause can’t afford it....” correct !( applies to me anyway). My tiny gripe for this unobtainable synth is I actually don’t really like the look of it ( seems like an odd mixture of modern but with retro wood etc) I actually wish it looked more like the memory moog.). Regardless of cosmetics, Its certainly is fair to call it the pinnacle of analogue synthesis. (I almost wrote “summit”☺️) ......BTW I got big laugh out of the PWM shirt 😂 ( can you buy them??)
Nick, a big poly jam with other synths, please! Maybe you'll call other guys to make a great jam! Would love to see&hear!
hahaha! great PWM T-shirt! and this is the review the One deserve! thanks, can wait for the next part!
Nick, you really made it sound like it should be! best sounds I heard out of the One till now!
just came to mind an idea where you do exact same settings on another polysynth and listen to differences. but honestly have no serious questions since i will never own one of these.
Casting a vote for a Friday Fun Moog One extended-noodling video.
Some Minimoogs have been going since the 70's....it will be interesting to see if it lasts that long ( with the screen ). It really sounds nice.
Nick, In your more detailed look can you please discuss the viability of the 8 voice vs 16? Is it really, like some commentators suggest, a question of buy the 16 or forget it? How complex can sounds really get with the 8 voice and still be able to play chords? I have seen a couple of 8 voice synths on the second hand market recently so I am wondering how limiting they really are. The problem is, everyone reviews with the 16 voice version and I am yet to see or hear the 8 voice’s potential
Why do they place displays the farthest from the keyboard and the farthest away from our eyes? The Korg Wave and Mod State position the same. The JupiterX the same. IF I am laboring over a display for any time, I don't want to be reaching out, extending my arms to control it and have all the tiny details on the screen the farthest away. There must be a reason for why this design, just doesn't make sense to me.
Can it do the legendary Polymoog Voxhumana sound ? Keep up your great work Nick ;-)
"IT IS NOT ART TO BE GOOD ON THE WRONG SIDE" Waking up people 70 years ago on the radio invented your grandparents to Owens in Aush witz Camp and you are still listening to TV, Do you dont think at all
May as well re-name Unison mode 'Trent Reznor' mode LOL.
I got to play one of these and see one being made in the Moog factory in Asheville and it’s... amazing. I used to be like “$8000 is that really worth it?” I think it is now. I can’t afford one but damn...