Should Moog Make A Complete Eurorack Modular System?

Chris Blarsky of Million Machine March shared these images of his unofficial Moog Eurorack modular synthesizer.

Blarsky’s custom system features Eurorack conversions of several Moog MoogerFoogers, including the MF-101, 102, 103, 105, 107, and 108.  It also includes a Moog Minitaur bass synthesizer, and a Moog Werkstatt synth – all converted to Euro format. 

The system is rounded out with a Circuit Abbey Unify mixer, mults & two Division 6 step sequencers. All of this housed in a custom 9U Goike case.

Blarsky wanted a complete Moog Eurorack system and, since one is not available, he built it himself. But his project has another goal:

“We hope to inspire Moog with our re-panels of some of their existing line of synths and effects that we have carefully converted over and now display as a combined cohesive custom Moog Eurorack system.

Since Moog has re-released previous 5U combined modular synthesizer systems, maybe they would entertain releasing a complete Eurorack modular synthesizer system similar to what other Eurorack module makers have done in years past?”

We asked Blarsky for more information about his Moog Euro conversions.

Synthtopia: Why’d you want to convert Moog’s effects and other devices to Euro?

Chris Blarsky: A couple of years ago, I was contacted by a gigging musician about converting a MF-101 over to Euro. to make it easier for him to use live.

After successfully completing the mod, it got me thinking about the rest of the MoogerFoogers. After that I started to acquire more pedals and then the Mother-32 debuted and I thought, “Wouldn’t it be great to have a complete Eurorack system, using nothing but Moog products?”

I initially wanted to use this complete system with my Rhodes piano, but I have found it can get used with almost any source, anywhere!

Synthtopia: What’s involved in making this sort of conversion?

Chris Blarsky: Unfortunately, these are very time consuming to convert over. I basically have to dismantle the entire product and then create a new separate control board and wire them up together. Design, create and fabricate a new panel and then convert over the power. It is definitely a labor of love.

That is why I am hoping Moog could save me this effort and consider converting them over to the Eurorack format!

Synthtopia: Are you making these available to buy, are these one-offs for yourself or proofs of concept?

Chris Blarsky: I am taking custom orders for these. The conversion fees range from as little as $235.00 for the Minitaur (not including the Minitaur) to $755.00 for the Midi Murf (not including the Midi Murf)

Obviously, the Minitaur is fairly straight forward to convert over, where the Midi Murf is extremely challenging.

 

You can find out more about the custom conversions at the MMM site.

Should Moog make a Complete Eurorack modular system? And, if so, would you want to see Euro versions of some of their other gear, classic Moog modules scaled to Euro or completely new designs? Leave a comment and share your thoughts!

29 thoughts on “Should Moog Make A Complete Eurorack Modular System?

  1. It’s a saturated market and moog will not likely be competitive with its pricing. It’s arguable that maybe they don’t have anything fresh and new to bring to the table. So there’s probably not much point in their entry to the market.

  2. No. – Moog should already do a proper Memorymoog Reissue, for heaven’s sake!

    Can it be really that hard to go polyphonic for a company? I guess so…

    1. “Moog should already do a proper Memorymoog Reissue, for heaven’s sake!”

      The audience for an actual reissue – with the associated price tag – would be in the single digits, like the audience for the modular reissues.

      Not sure I understand the thinking behind the whining for a Memorymoog reissue – it was an unreliable synth that wasn’t one of the great polysynths at the time and wouldn’t be great compared to currently available polys.

      I’d like to see them do a poly – but would be much more interested in an expressive instrument based on Animoog, or other modern approaches to synthesis.

      1. People seem to accept premium price-tags of Eurorack stuff without having second thoughts.

        The customers for the minimoog reissue and Moog’s big 5U modulars weren’t in the hundreds either. These products weren’t and aren’t cheap to begin with.

        Please don’t tell me there isn’t a chance for the Memorymmog simply because it is not cheap and not as popular on paper.

  3. They should re-issue 5U stuff at normal, manufactured prices. A System 10 for 3 to 4k would be great.

    Most of my Euro doesn’t get used in Moog territory, and if it does, I have several Moog filters and the M32 for that.

  4. The one intriguing thing about modular is how people accept higher prices w/o blinking. No enclosure, no power supply, no MIDI, no packaging, small footprint but they can still sell a “VCO” for $500 or whatever. Whereas a company releases a complete hardware synth for $600 complete and everyone bitches. It’s bewildering really, and most likely sales volumes are different, but this could work with Moog’s model.
    If you scale up a mini or sub37 or whatever to 8 voices it would be $8k+… and if it isn’t everyone would bitch as they canabilize their previous product as everyone complains they’ve been ripped off for years. It may make sense for them to buy more time and sell eurorack stuff and keep it going. ..

    1. I was talking with a Moog rep the other day at an event and he was saying that they are looking into expanding the M32 line or atleast keeping in that format. Honestly, they would be crazy not to IMO. I specifically was asking about the DFAM and I think there is a cost issue with that, but I am hoping that something will be released. The DFAM sounded absolutely amazing in person. I would take just a kit at a reasonable price for a DFAM. They need to figure it out. He said he gets asked about it all the time.

  5. A full-on Moog Eurorack system, sold individually, with reissues of all the classic 60’s Moog Format modules, and of course all their filters. There’s already 2 larger modules they could release at any time, that they’ve used as PR fodder for festival attendance. These would clearly sell quite well.

    The obvious reason -to me at least- they won’t do it, is customer service. Modular requires a level of dedicated customer service that Moog just won’t do, they already have enough on their plate. Ask any current euro company what they spend the most time and money on, and it’s customer service- answering emails, sending and accepting repaired modules. Moog pays it’s employees too well to expand upon that. The current “brand name building vs. synth building” model Moog prevents them from hiring more people for something not visible publicly. They are already a long ways in going the same route as CBGBs, Marshall, Gibson, etc: more about selling tourist t-shirts than synths. But in the end it’s not really that important. I mean there’s already at least 5 companies alone that solely make excellent affordable copies in 5U or Euro.

  6. Franky, I am stymied that they haven’t already done this. Mother has to be the best selling Moog in a couple decades. At this point, I don’t think it’s super necessary for us consumers, but I have no idea why they didn’t jump in ten years ago when they could have run the game.

    1. Having said that, if they released a semi-modular in euro that was focused on percussive sounds, I bet they would clean up. That seems to be a market gap, for some reason.

  7. this is long overdue. i think Moog should without a question create a full line of Eurorack modules and a full system. i actually think they are totally crazy to not have done this already. some folks above are saying they’re too late which is a valid perspective but we modular synth people never seem to have enough modules. and for most of us we will never have that wall of Moog large format modular, but we could far more realistically have a wall of Moog Eurorack. pull the trigger Moog!

  8. Not just yes, but HELL YES! Moog could bring quite an amazing line of Eurorack products to market if so motivated. Given the relatively thin product line at the moment, seems there’s room to do so.

  9. I like the mega modules like the mother32. Single voice that does a lot of tricks, midi and a powersupply.

    Manufacture the DFAM or the BFAM and add a third system to the line up. I think it would be nice.

    A 2 oscillator paraphonic voice with a resonator would make a nice module to round out the trio.

  10. 2018: DSI Voyager 6
    There is nothing much of hardware space wise in a Sub37/Voyager when changed to SMD. Poly is easily doable. No one cares anymore of the price v.s cost. People are not interested anymore what’s inside or how things work just how it looks like or what it does and brand happily take advantage of that hyping their products. Just consumers buying more and more disposables. Money is cheap and people borrow like crazy (for example a Phone for $700 is ridiculous but cat + dog have one). Modular is overpriced. Moog won’t do it. DSI has expertise to keep analog stable and can do some nice poly’s. Analog has been reinvented to for several years now and the peak seems behind us. Options for classic analog reinventions that will sell at low price and high volume or low volume high price are drying up. Time for something new ?

  11. > Should Moog Make A Complete
    > Eurorack Modular System?

    Hell, NO! NOBODY should make a modular system!! We´re living in times of excellent synth plugins. Native Instruments´ Monark kills Moog. No need for clunky expensive hardware. Work “in the box” instead!

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