Using The Moog Mother-32 As A Paraphonic Synthesizer

The Moog Mother-32 offers a complete VCO-VCF-VCA synth voice in a single Eurorack module.

While the Mother-32’s default internal patching lets it be easily used as a monophonic synth, the synth’s extensive patching options also make it possible to use it paraphonically. 

Paraphonic synths offer the ability to play different notes simultaneously, but do not offer a complete synth voice for each note. For example, a paraphonic synth might offer two oscillators, with separate control of each oscillator’s pitch, but route the output of the two oscillators through a single VCF-VCA audio path.

This video, via loopop, demonstrates how to use the Mother-32 paraphonically, using its ‘hidden’ oscillators, the resonant filter and the LFO.

3 thoughts on “Using The Moog Mother-32 As A Paraphonic Synthesizer

  1. Neat video, but I sure wish Moog had made poly chain an option for the Mother 32 like Dreadbox does. Would be great to have that 3-tier rack and be able to have it easily function as a Three Voice.

    1. There are workarounds for synths without any poly chain.

      Some controller keyboards can be set to MIDI mono mode which cycles through a user-defined number of consecutive MIDI channels for each note. Alternatively the MIDI processing functions in Logic or Max for Live can also do this.

  2. Nice, but I don’t find it very usable (except for some ambient music, I suppose): for one, I never use it on my MS-20.

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