Today, Moog is introducing a new budget-friendly analog semi-modular synth known as Mavis. Moog – named after the legendary synth designer Robert Moog who is largely responsible for essentially creating the analog synthesizer as we know it – still makes some of the best analog sound makers on the planet, and has now unleashed one of its more affordable points of entry to the semi-modular world. The new Mavis delivers a standalone synthesis and sound design experience that can also be integrated into larger interconnected Moog or Eurorack systems making for a notable option for modular beginners and experienced synthesists alike. Head below for a closer look at the new Moog Mavis semi-modular synthesizer.
New Moog Mavis semi-modular synth
Joining the rest of the Moog semi-modular synth lineup (Mother-32, DFAM, Subharmonicon, Grandmother, Matriarch) at a far more affordable price point, Moog says Mavis delivers that classic oscillator and filter sound combination the company is celebrated for in a new build-it-yourself (no soldering required) semi-modular analog synthesizer unit:
Assembling this synthesizer kit by hand invites the user to get closer to the circuits at the heart of this unique musical machine. With Mavis, users of any skill level can quickly build their analog synthesizer with minimal tools and experience by using all the components included in the instrument’s carefully curated packaging.
Alongside an onboard one-octave keyboard, you’ll find a 24-point patch bay, a full-range voltage-controlled oscillator with pulse-width modulation (PWM), the -24dB Moog Low Pass Ladder Filter, audio rate LFO, and a 4-stage envelope generator.
Joining a sample and hold circuit (“generates a random CV pattern that can be patched to modulate other parameters”), Moog is also including a diode wavefolder – the first ever analog wavefolder to appear on a Moog instrument. It allows for “additive synthesis to sit alongside traditional subtractive synthesis, and features a broad modular utilities section complete with attenuators, offsets, mults, and a flexible DC-coupled mixer.”
The new Moog Mavis semi-modular synth is now shipping worldwide for $349. It will be available at all major online retailers anytime now if it isn’t already.
9to5Toys’ Take
There are certainly more affordable points of entry into semi-modular synths out there, but it’s hard to deny the value a Moog instrument brings to the table. The versatility on display is a nice touch here as well – you can land a standalone Moog semi-modular sound design experience here for $349, and then pop it out of the enclosure down the line when your setup grows instead of leaving it to gather dust on a shelf once you have moved onto to bigger and better things.
I, for one, swear by the sound of Moog’s oscillators and low pass filter and almost never reach for anything else until it’s time for some polyphonic action. So the idea of being able to get hands-on and build my own (without the need for any expertise or a soldering iron) is certainly a compelling one. With a first-of-its-kind Moog wavefolder module and the future-proof design, this is certainly one semi-modular synth that has caught my attention.
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