iPhone Music Software: The Moog Filtatron iPhone app, demonstrated by Richard Devine above, is a milestone.
It may not be the most powerful or complex iOS music app – but Filtatron is the first time Moog, a company whose reputation is its analog sound, has put out a piece of software that they claim reproduces the classic Moog sound.
Moog has licensed its name for software synths before – but this is something different.
Here’s what Mike Adams, the president of Moog Music, has to say about their new app:
“Filtatron represents the first time that the signature Moog sound is available outside of a high-end, hand-made Moog synthesizer.”
Moog Music is saying that the “Moog sound” has officially been recreated in software, and it’s in a $5 iPhone app.
I’m a bit surprised that people aren’t freaking out about this claim.
Moog = classic analog sound. Is an iPhone app really up to the task? Moog Music says yes.
What do you think?
there is no way in hell that app will sound like a real analog moog. No freakin way… I'll download it from installious to try it out though…
HYPERBOL
It's called expanding your revenue stream. That's what.
this whole site should be dedicated ONLY to lousy iphone and ipad synths
now THERE'S a concept!
lol @ installious. serioulsy, the best free app ever 😛
Oh, I was thinking of buying a Little Phatty to get THAT sound, but it's not necessary anymore, I just need to run a 01/W with a sawtooth waveform sample through this cheapo app and presto: Let there be Moog.
compare this to Arturia Moog Modular V, which was endorsed by Moog himself.
THAT sound is not Moog… be more careful with your wording when talking about audio… THAT (in capitals) refers to something else entirely… do some homework… it's really interesting stuff.
Actually I don't care. Music apps on iPadles are fun but very far from being musically and haptically on a level with hardware. And for god's sake, these are just computers. With the difference of portability and multitouch. And for most it is a head thing. And I prefer knowing there is real circuitry under the hood, than some DSP, when it comes to analogue sounds.
The most significant thing the iPengs don't have is tactile response.
it is theoretically impossible to get the analog Moog sound. Period. But it will probably come close though!
the analog Moog sound In the digital realm I mean!
Until it's recorded … Then it's all digital.
Actually, while still alive, he personally endorsed Arturia's Moog Modular and Minimoog emulations. If the sound is right, I don't see why this is that big of a deal IMO.
Eh, it's this sort of novelty gimmick which reminds me exactly why I don't want to get an iPhone. All it's really gonna do is sell tons to a bunch of gullible kids who will all be like "OMGZ I got a real moog on my iPhone". I'll never forget that guy from college who was telling me "Ahh dude you have to get Reason 4 – It's got REAL SSL sound!!"
I'm not an analog snob at all, but really, I just don't see the use of an application that's just a filter. What are you supposed to do with it?
I'll tell you what I'll do with it – I'll use it to process sounds from my theremin. I don't give a rat's left testicle whether it sounds like a "real moog" or not – if I like the sounds it makes I'll keep it, and if I don't I'll ditch it. At five dollars it won't be a great loss.
But I'm optimistic that it will work out well. An app written by Chris Wolfe (of Jasuto Pro) to Moog's specs has a good enough pedigree for me to chance five bucks on it. I already use Jasuto Pro to process my Moog theremin and I like it! It sounds great, it's damn convenient at gigs and suits me fine for recording sessions too.
For all practical intents and purposes (humans with normal or better than average hearing on decent listening equipment in an accoustically perfect room, high sampling rates, and bit depth >= 24 bit (internally you would of course need more, but people can't really hear more than 24 bit or resolution)) you should be able to recreate the intricacies of analog gear. It ain't easy, but there's no indication that it's not possible. Perhaps you care to cite some reliable sources that give some technical and theoretical reasons for this impossibility hypothesis?
Again there's this thing "classic analog sound" mentioned. What does it actually mean? In the case of vintage analog gear you would perhaps think it has something to do with imperfections or quirkyness in the circuit design and components, and some people tend to agree (confer the endless debates about whether a certain contemporary analog synth is worthy of being called analog because it is too clean or precise). In my experience the most profound sensation of that classic analog sound comes about when you have a piece of equipment (be it digital, analog, software, hardware, a mix of all this, or what not) that triggers your auditory memory, reminds you of something (analog) you've heard which you thought was simply beautiful. Strange enough I has this feeling mostly with digital hardware or software. It depends on the programming (although some presets can sound nice, I've yet to meet more than one I really dig) and on the overall signal chain. There is no one magic box or software that gives you _the_ sound, no matter what.
analog in and of itself does not have "a sound"… same goes for gear with tubes in it. There are plenty of really clean tube pres and plenty of digital ones with "mojo". Same goes for synths… It's not the format of the gear, but rather all the hard work, specific parts, and techniques used in building it.
Moog uses excellent designs, craftsmanship, etc… and it shows. It's not just in our heads (the thousands of people who can hear a difference).
Cheaper gear with inferior parts (and power) and software with crappy coding are one and the same. Software quality is harder to define because it is also dependent on some hardware to be heard.
Brand names like Moog, API, Neve, Macbeth, Future Retro make great gear with a signature sound. Brands like Dave Smith, Focusrite, and MFB cut corners, use cheaper components, and the gear reflects that. It's actually not that difficult to understand.
I hope this App sounds great…. but a Voyager it is not.
My favorite part about all of these comments is the lack of REMEMBERING the PAST Moog plugins for ProTools and the likes.
http://www3.digidesign.com/index.cfm?langid=4&…
This stuff has been around for years, it sounds great (albeit not as good as the hardware) but theres no need to be trash talking the app, JUST because its on the iOs, and JUST because its digital. I'm a big advocate of analog gear, but in all honesty, the reason I love Moog so much and went so far as to buy a Voyager, among plenty of 'Foogers, is because of the plugins included with the ProTools Musicians Toolkit bundle.
The iOs app will do the exact same thing. I can almost guarantee that it wont be used by professionals in a 'final form' sense, but maybe in the idea or mobile stage of production. But I'm sure it will sound great, be fun to use, and boost Moog sales significantly
the idea that people cant hear more than 24 bits of resolution is wrong (the nyquist theorem deals with frequency not amplitude) furthermore its a stupid myth in the first place regarding 44khz as I and many others I know can hear (or sense) tones about 22khz
however in terms of "virtual analog" its been clearly established that 24bits is not nearly enough headroom to calculate and present all aspects of the harmonic distortion possible from analog gear, nor is 44khz or 48khz enough bandwidth to simulate the detail of frequency that pure electricity is capable of in the analog realm
much higher bit rates and sample rates may provide this, but you wont find it on a fucking iphone app
also its not just about static output but also the smoothness of manipulation regarding various modulation parameters which is another matter entirely
people who say this kind of crap have obviously never A-B'ed a bunch of analog and virtual analog gear together… its pretty obvious whats possible with analog and whats not possible with virtual analog in the actual real world – as opposed to the random discussion of internet nerds
Perhaps NoB also has a theory about the brontosaurus.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAYDiPizDIs
Imagine playing one of the organs in one of the great gothic cathedrals. Then imagine playing the same organ on a crowded train at rush-hour. Obvious matters of physical size and weight aside, does it sound the same?
The only gear in my studio that is not analog happen to be my macbooks and a midi controller. And to name a few,…Im staring at a 2 voice, Axxe, Omni, LP SE, MoogerFoogers, a Rouge and an Odyessy, Im a HUGE Moog fan, and I am fortunate enough to use large Analog desks from time to time,..API legacy, SSL8k, and ya know what? I Music with it,…just like I am looking forward to playing around and making music with that new Iphone app. It looks like hilarious fun. Its five bucks guys. You'll spend more on a shitty hamburger that wont fetch as many complaints as this "Moog Ladder Filter" emulation has been getting. Go buy a real Moog or your analog synth of choice, if you have the means, or have a great time playing with this App or whatever you deem musical. Art is what you make it! Less time bitching = more music for the masses gents. 🙂
perhaps you should stick your head up that brontosaurus' ass to smell what is like to listen to you.
indeed, than you would have a less than perfect, discrete copy of a unique rendition of someone's musical expression on analog gear….you follow me;-)…i love my vst
As much as I'm sick of iphone, ipad stuff, I could blend a touch of this Moog app into a song and none of you could tell the difference. Cheer up.
And I haven't even heard it yet! Ha!
The fact that so many people are angry about iOS music apps shows that they are landing on the mark as viable instruments. Consider your comfort bubble popped.