Ahead of Superbooth 2025, being held May 8-10 at the FEZ-Berlin, Moog Music shared this teaser for a new synthesizer, the Moog Messenger.
Based on what we can see in the video, the Moog Messenger is a compact monophonic synthesizer, featuring two oscillators, a sequencer, arpeggiator, a 32-note keyboard and a hands-on, knobby interface.
We’ll have full official details on the Moog Messenger when they are announced May 8th.
Wow…racist, ageist, anti-American ‘and’ entitled! Grand slam, Synthtopia!
And I thought this site was about synths…some of you, really seem to think you’re better and smarter than everyone else. What a great community…I’ll keep you in prayer. Olympic-level amateur psychiatrists, sociologists and economists:D Every time I come here, I’m reminded of why I don’t come here…I think this’ll be it. Wonder if this will even get posted…Peace out.
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I’d rather buy the office, the telephone or perhaps even more the clock radio.
That *is* a baller clock radio…
Is that full sized keys?!
So it’s 2025, and we’re being teased another 2 oscillator, 2 lfo, 2 env, 1 filter, mono synth.
Boooooring. Been there done that, nothing new since the 70’s. Wouldn’t be surprised if they’d charge 700-800 for this and market it as “budget”.
Exactly. Heritage brand or not. Then again it’s what might sell. At least with the countless VST they don’t cost as much so sameness is cheaper. (I do much prefer a real synth but money and space preclude too many)
The classic Moog bass and lead sounds never go out of fashion, and a synth capable of delivering them is often the first hardware instrument that upcoming electronic musicians add to their setup. It might be boring for those who have already covered their bases, but there’s always a market for it, and new instruments will keep coming out.
Boycott US goods
^this times 1,000.
Boycott the US
also +1000! we’ve gone to hell in a maga basket.
lol
You are going to change the planet!
So brave.
Virtue trophy is in the mail.
It’s 2025 and it’s crazy to believe that people are complaining about “too many affordable analogue synths”
About 13 years ago when eurorack was starting to gather some momentum, there wasn’t really any interest in the budget analogue synth market. Since then there has been nothing short of an analogue renaissance. Something for everyone and even things that nobody wants
Hard to believe anyone complain about that but here we are
“too many affordable synths”
600+ is not affordable ? a used korg monologue is affordable, a behringer is affordable, a broken mono/poly is affordable.
Stop worshiping Moog for pumping out the same boring s**t for 50yrs, you could get get any Moog of late and they’re all the exact same thing, oh wow 2 oscillators, 1 filter (BUT THIS ONE HAS FILTER DRIVE you cry) 2 envelopes and a HECKIN MOD MATRIX.
They’re boring, they’ve been boring for years and their core customers are old guy doctors who are in prog rock bands on the weekends with 1k followers on Instagram or synth nerds who don’t record music and think having a Moog makes them interesting
I don’t think it’s entirely fair to accuse Moog of not having done anything new since the 70s based on this one synth.
The Muse was just released this past year and it’s a beautifully refined bi-timbral eight voice poly. The Matriarch and Grandmother also have a variety of effect modules on board with a semi-modular design that incorporates CV capabilities.
Then you have the Animoog, which is one of the most innovative iPad synthesizers ever made that Suzanne Ciani has used in live performances alongside her Buchla.
No it’s very fair to accuse them of doing nothing new since the 70s.
The fact the great advancements you listed were they have CV capabilities and EFFECTS is laughable.
Like WOW effects, I’m so glad it had these as it’s not like my DAW comes pre installed with hundreds of them nor is there 1000s available to download off the internet.
700-800 for this would be a good price imo …
850 euros in local shop.
That’s exactly what they’ll do.
They’ll call it an “affordable” synth but charge 600+ for the same stuff they’ve been pumping out for 50yrs.
Realistically there’s nothing a moog can do that any other modern cheaper alternative can’t do too, like I get its you’re a band in 1974 and synthesisers take up an entire room and require a electrical engineering degree to even use and the Minimoog is available and it’s all in one box and easy to use and having something reliable was rare but that time is over
I don’t understand how they even get away with it for long but their customers seem to be people who have studios but never actually record anything beyond 16 bar loops for Instagram reels.
“their customers seem to be people who have studios but never actually record anything beyond 16 bar loops for Instagram reels.”
That’s a pretty hateful, entitled take on electronic musicians that use Moog instruments, isn’t it?
In my experience, musicians that fall more into the ‘player’ or live performer category LOVE Moogs, because Moog makes instruments with a big sweet spot, great feel, and lots of hands-on-control. In other words, they make great instruments.
It’s really rare for companies to nail all these things.
Korg nailed it with the Prologue – which sounds great, has a big sweet spot and a great feel. But they didn’t nail it with the Wavestate – which is really powerful, but doesn’t have a great feel and isn’t as immediate or fun to use.
And Novation’s Bass Station is killer and very affordable, but doesn’t have that same sweet spot, feel and immediacy that you get with Moog’s design. Aphex Twin mode is super-powerful, but it’s read-the-manual types stuff.
We’re getting inundated with affordable synths these days, which is awesome. But very few of these new synths are great instruments that actually deliver a sweet spot for sound design, good feel, immediate control and doing something new.
While you may not care about these things, it’s kind of a dick move to act like that qualifies you to dismiss an entire category of synths, and to talk down to the people that actually use these instruments.
doubleplus agree Elwin.
The video says all sounds are made with the Messenger and the music has chords… unless the musician multitracked those chords with a monophonic synth, the Messenger is probably a polyphonic or a paraphonic synth.
I would love this if its mini keys (can’t tell)
love mini key format
and at least a fake polyphonic mode something able to play more than 1 note
then im in
It’s for the mass market musicians with no money…. It still will be 800 euro.
Some times some things make me embarrassed to be into some things, some times.
When I saw the beginning of the video I thought it was going to be some crazy remote microphone audio source sound manipulation synth based on what they were setting up in the forest. By the end of the video is was pretty clear it was just going to be a cheaply made Subsequent 25.
Welcome to the Oberheim->Viscount era for Moog.
the ghost of the dreaded OB12!
In terms of what I hear in this video, the machine seems capable of interesting vocal choir like sounds. Those are quite difficult to get with a saetooth and a resinant low pass filter.Assuming this is a substractive analogue synth (or, goodness, a virtual emulation of one!) and that the music really illustrates what is special about this particular machine, perhaps it has on-board chorus and a band pass filter or two filters. The look seems to be like a Hydrasynth Explorer/Arturia Minifreak. Perhaps same price range? Of course as always hardware synths are almost invariably very old technology (and most VSTs are just digital imitations of very old technology) so if they go with a higher price tag it will be very hard to justify. The synth market place is no longer driven by innovation – just like the marketplaces for electic guitars, Spanish guitars or violins. Though you never know, look at the piano – frozen for a century then Yamaha arrives with their Clavinovas. But right now itnis really hard to justify not buying Behringer except for the purest of sentimental reasons.
I’m fine paying 800 for something like that as long as it’s going to a company that employs American union workers.
Chose one, because you certainly can’t have both.
I hope it will have full size keys instead of puppet keys
Probably nothing very original, but as new people continue to start making music, less original instruments will remain in demand. Hopefully a less bulky variation on the subsequent lineage, which is simply too large for what it does; I can see those sell nicely.
kinda weird seeing all the people complaining that moog are releasing another analog monosynth. imagine people in the guitar world complaining about fender releasing “yet another electric guitar”. this phenomenon of expecting more and more of instrument makers has really started to turn my stomach and I’m beginning to feel like the synth community is more of a consumer-driven capitalist hellhole than any other corner of the music world.
moog make subtractive analog synths that sound good. if you can’t make good music with a moog, it’s not because it lacks this or that modern feature. that’s on you.
This is Akai masked as Moog, not Moog.
“Get off mah lawn!!!!”
The “Moog sold out and isn’t really Moog any more” attitude seems completely ignorant of Moog history.
Bob Moog sold Moog in 1970, and the brand has had half a dozen owners since then. When did it stop being “Moog”?
I’m not an InMusic fanboy, but since the switch they’ve released the Muse (great synth), the Labyrinth (great synth) and the Spectravox (great synth). That’s a solid track record since the buyout, and it’s more than big companies like Yamaha or Roland introduced in the same timeframe.
Now they’re introducing the Messenger, which appears to be giving customers exactly what they want in a monosynth – an affordable Moog monosynth that still sounds and feels like a great instrument.
Also not a Moog fanboy – I think they’ve had endless missteps starting with the Voyager itself, and continuing with a lot of ho-hum, poorly named, and somewhat overpriced products through the years. I’ve always felt that the first thing they should’ve done when they officially restarted was the Mini reissue, which, regardless of all the whiners up here, is what a large part of Moog’s market segment wanted. It took WAY too long when they finally did it, and it was overpriced.
As you mention, there have been bright spots recently, and some others along the way. IMO, the Matriarch is one of the most powerful self-contained monosynths ever made. I don’t agree with all of its design choices (“split” filter controls, dumb color scheme, but at least they addressed that), but it’s a real deal four-oscillator fully modular synth with two filters, two LFO’s, two envelopes, etc. in one box. Looked at through that lens, it’s a great deal, especially if you get a used one (I got a mint black/red one for $1500).
From a business perspective, Moog is between a rock and a hard place, because those “awful middle-aged, Harley-riding doctors” are the customers that actually have and spend money, which is real helpful if you want to keep your business like, in business. I know this isn’t a consideration for angry everything-should-be-$200-I’ll-wait-for-Behringer guy. I think Moog can (and has) come out with some more creative and out-there stuff (Spectravox, Subharmonicon, etc.), which whiners up here are conveniently overlooking. But I’m sure that stuff does not sell in any substantial numbers, otherwise they wouldn’t be doing “limited runs” – companies don’t stop selling things that are generating lots of income.
This new synth well – yeah, it is kinda meh and certainly not for me, but I disagree with others – Fender has to keep making Stratocasters, y’know? The whippersnappers are free to overlook this, but Moog has to keep making analog synths that go “weeooh,” it’s their bread and butter and very much their brand identity. I suppose I can understand their disdain – I very much have the same feeling about Harley Davidson (archaic cruiser = yuck), but I don’t go to motorcycle forums and make an ass of myself about it, I just ride a Ducati instead.
Which AKAI synth do you refer to? I’d be interested in buying that one!
It’s ironic you say “the synth community is more of a consumer-driven capitalist hellhole”
Considering moogs entire customer base is guy who says “oh goodness a new Moog I must have it, I’ll put it in my studio and take a pic and post on r/synthesizers but never record anything”
They’re the Harley Davidson of synths, old guys who are having a midlife crisis.
Also comparing synths to guitars is just a strawman argument, synths are meant to be innovative and offer something new not the just same stuff year after year.
“I’m beginning to feel like the synth community is more of a consumer-driven capitalist hellhole than any other corner of the music world.”
^^^This.
You don’t have to have any musical talent to buy and use synths, samplers and drum machines, in the way that people that play traditional musical instruments have to have.
As a result, a lot of the people that comment here and in other electronic music forums have never had to put work into learning basics like how to play a chord, or understanding how to play that same chord in every key, etc. AND IT SHOWS.
The number one comment from these people, on any news, is “This is overpriced, I’ll wait for the Behringer version.”
These people are saying “I don’t understand the value of this instrument. I don’t care enough to learn more. And, by the way, I know better than you.”
Tell my why that attitude is not a perfect example of the Dunning-Kruger effect in action.
I feel embarrassed for you even typing that out.
“NOOOO if anyone doesn’t like a Moog they’re just unenlightened unlike me, and they mustn’t know how to play music which is why they’re waiting for the behringer (which you would program a patch the exact same way you would a Moog or any other synth.
Honestly just laughable these arguments you Moog cult r/synthesisers battle station succulent owning le HECKIN epic losers pull out the bag.
I’m posting your comment in r/synthesizercirlejerk, it will definitely get a good laugh.
“I’m posting your comment in r/synthesizercirlejerk, it will definitely get a good laugh.”
MickFinn – it sounds like you’re too biased to respond intelligently to criticism, especially when your only response is to threaten to be a dick online.
Threatening to do what you already are doing is a pretty limp threat. I think they got pills that might help with that now.
Thanks for giving us all a laugh, even it it was unintentional.
MickFinn – you’re veering hard into personal attack territory with the name-calling, mocking other readers, etc.
We encourage readers to share any perspectives that are on-topic and constructive. We also make clear that the Synthtopia comment section is not a platform for hate speech, spam and personal attacks.
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it would be nice if one of the static images shown by the website would show the PRODUCT and not focus on the MARKETING fluff. but, that’s just me.
Never has a video launch of a synth made me completely uninterested in a synth more.
The picture of the synth looks interesting. I’m sure it sounds good too.
However, that video did not resonate with me at all.
It got you talking about the Messenger, so it succeeded as marketing.
So much negativity, and once again most of it is coming from one person who seems irrationally angry.
This synth strikes as surprisingly different for Moog. Wavefolding, programmable barp/sequencer, parameter recording, and smaller things like continuously variable waveshapes and bass boosting/feedback on the filter are all welcome surprises on a mid-price model. It seems like a well balanced combination of power and flexibility, significantly better design and value than some of their previous lead synths.
i keep reading your name as Angry Bowl.
This was a very weird video and i loved the dry description by Synthtopia. I think Moogs are overrated and I can understand why some people hate on them just like the hate on Teenage Engineering stuff but hey, it’s their money. It’s interesting that of all the synth nerds I know, only one has Moogs and has like 7 of them, none TE, the rest are from eurorack or elektron village. Also it’s very funny that the guy that release most stuff, gig mothly and is in like 3 bands only have a laptop, bass, minilogue xd and 2 midis ?
It’s a decent advertisement. They must’ve spent a few quid on that.
As somebody has already said, if it’s a monophonic instrument where did the chords come from?
Hey, get bent, Commie bastardo! I like my hellhole! 😛
It kind of blows my mind that the bird sounds and water sounds aka all the ambient noises are all coming from the Moog Messenger! Pretty epic synth trailer!
I wonder where is Moog sourcing their chips from… .? 😉
Btw; Judging from the video, it is hard to know what is actually coming from Messenger only and/or what we hear is multitrack recording utilising additional sampling and FX.
All should be revealed in couple of days during Superbooth anyway…
Let’s wait in see before posting our final judgement…
It does sampling, or wavetables. Why else would there be all those microphones around? If so, that would be a totally unexpected and possibly pretty interesting thing for Moog to do – audio waves plus Moog subtractive synthesis could be pretty cool!
Messenger rhymes with Behringer. Has the same letter count and all.
Just saying.
Kept fast forwarding the Moog Messenger commercial, heard some kind of ambient music, are we to believe this is what the synth produced on a single track without any external effects?
No. Why would you have that expectation of any synth intro video?