Moog Mother-32 Semi-modular Eurorack Analog Synthesizer and Step Sequencer Reviews

Excellent mono synth,fun to use with Moog DFAM & Subharmonicon. It compliments both as your lead or rhythm synth. Excellent sequencer as well. Extremely well made with high quality parts. I highly recommend picking one up.

If there was only one synth module to get it should be this one!! For one module and some unique patches this is it!!

New to synths and decided to purchase this beauty. Fun as all hell and surprises me everytime I sit down with it. Leaving this is a fun experience as well. Couldn't be happier

Another all round great instrument from the innovators!!!

It's really well laid out, sounds amazing, plays great with other modules and it's a Moog. If you're considering it, I'd recommend getting it.

It sounds the way you wish the synths you like sounded.

My name is Gary and I'm a Moogaholic.

I know this even though I own only three Moog synths (a wood-box Theremin, a Werkstatt, and now a Mother-32) and I'm essentially in Moog kindergarten. What I know about oscillators and modulators I learned as an undergrad in music school on a weird suitcase Arp that must have been designed for college classrooms. But I didn't continue with it. My addiction was initially kicked in with software synths – Serum, Diva, and Vital are faves. And then I bought a Dreadbox Typhon and the angels sang. The Typhon is a trip - so much in that little box.

But I still felt at sea with what I was doing. I wanted to get closer to imagining a sound and knowing how to build it. So I enrolled in subtractive synthesis 101: the Werkstatt. And all of those software synths started making more sense. But the sound! Rayon or cotton? Cotton, thank you very much. I'm still intimidated by having to know what's being un-normalled when I plug in a cable. I survey my dials with more doubt than confidence that I will comprehend why the sound I hear is happening. And then I build a sound and it does what I thought it would do. And it's a beautiful thing. Can I recreate it the next day? Not always. But I'm in love with this journey – unapologetic aging hippie here, eager after 69 turns around the sun to keep expanding my sonic world.

So, this is supposed to be about the Mother-32.

I'm about 40 pages into 'Patch and Tweak with Moog' and, of course, it's telling me that I need more Moog in my life. I don't disagree. But I'm going to chill with the Mother for a while. I'm not a beat maker. And I resist the loop vortex. But, jeez, when you get a good groove going and move it around with the LFO and the EG, it's intoxicating and a rabbit hole. The Mother-32 is like middle school. I think I'm getting a zit. I'm way too old for zits. But I'm not too old for Lincoln Logs!

I thought I would quickly run into the limitations of this synth, but the patchability unlocks so much creative potential. I encourage new users to explore the patch sheets & videos from Moog and Sweetwater to quickly get a handle on the possibilities.

It's still early days with this fab instrument, for me, but I find myself getting lost in sequencing and real-time performance with it every time I touch it.

I've spent about an hour exploring this synth and I'm more impressed than I thought I'd be. I was concerned that only 1 VCO would sound thin, so I planned on using it in a Eurorack setup for the classic Moog filter. However the VCO is wonderful. You can blend both the pulse and saw waves, and the pulse width modulation really adds character. The EG is snappy, and the controls are silky smooth. Solid construction, beautiful sound. I've had Moogs and ARPs going back to the late 70s, and while I use a number of great VSTi plugins, there's something about playing with actual hardware that truly enhances your creative experience!

I"ve never owned a synth. I purchased a DFAM earlier this year because I wanted to try out the drum machine and lead me to this machine. The Mother 32 is a perfect first step into the world of eurorack modular synths. The time I"ve been spending with it, has been some of the best time I"ve ever put into an instrument. If you"re looking to get into modular synths this is the first step you should take that won"t break the bank.

I keep seeing this branded as a "first Moog" or whatever, considering its price. Its price is low because of the limited circuitry and small, eurorack form-factor, but don't let that fool you into thinking this is an entry-level anything.

This synth has a very unique voicing - a very bold tone.. it's not quite the sound of a minitaur (which is pretty extremely aggressive), or a SUB-37 (which has a very heavy, dark sound).. it contends with my Minimoog Model D, while bringing a tone that is its own. It's got a tone that reminds me of the Moog Modular sounds, and the amount of experimentation you can do with it is just great.

The PWM sound you get from this (don't ask me why, I'm no scientist), to me, sounds better than any synth I've ever heard. The PWM has such a LUSH sound. Actually, the LFO in general just... sounds good? I know that's an odd thing to say, but I guess it's the way it behaves is so organic.. I wish my SUB-37 could do that - it just doesn't. The robust sound of this oscillator and filter makes the SUB-37 sound clumsy and simple.

The patchbay has all the patch points you wish some other synths would have (*cough* MS-20 *cough*..), for example, you can patch your LFO into the external input, and get a blended sound - since the LFO goes well into audio rate - you essentially can make bleeps and bloops with a 2-oscillator kind of sound.

Last thing, and most important to say about this... don't ask me why but it is a CHAMP at making sound effects. Something about the sound-making engine, it just makes sound effects ridiculously well.

If it weren't so expensive, I'd say stack up 3 of these and go nuts.

When I first played this thing, I was worried about limits and sounding like all the other boring "turn on the sequencer, filter like every dance record does." I'm a composer / performer that adheres to the 1950s / 60s guard of Raymond Scott, Radiophonic Workshop, Ligeti, Bebe and Luis Barron, Stockhausen etc., and I thought I had made a mistake.

Wrong. This thing does idiosyncratic Moog synth stuff (i.e. deep bass, perky square waves) AND allows for a great amount of experimentation. That is, your creativity plus the Mother-32 will take you to unexpected places. I use a Werkstatt-01 (a very underrated synth), Korg MS20 mini and a Korg SQ-1 in conjunction to make big, spaced-out, often pan-tonal textures, and the Mother-32's synth engine and sequencer are at the heart of it all. It can sound thick, sound-effecty, brash or super subtle with the cutoff turned down low.

And after a year I feel that I'm just getting started. There are times when I'm improvising, hit something neat, stop and just marvel at the Mother-32. I love it.

First Off, if you don't have a sales rep, this should be your guy:

Chris Ishak
E-mail chris_ishak@sweetwater.com
(800) 222-4700 ext 1717

He was immensely helpful, stayed on the phone over an hour helping me decide, configure and plan out my order. He rocks!

Also, just buy this thing, get 2 of them and a DFAM, mess with the patches, just mess around. Even if you have no idea about modular/semi-modular (I didn't) just get it, it's an absolute blast and the sheer sounds, the tone, the quality is more than what you expect.

I bought 2xMother32s, Analog Rytm, MOTU midi express XT, MoogerFooger Ring Mod, Eventide H9 Max, a load of Mogami Platinum cables and I couldn't be happier -- this combined with my Prophet 6, Nord Stage 2 and DFAM -- I couldn't be happier.

Get it, it'll hold value and you can sell it later for 85% what you paid anyway, ITS WORTH IT.

You can't go wrong with a MOOG. I've been very curious about modular synths and after a lot of youtube viewing, I decided to buy the M32. So glad I did. It's so fun. It has made a subject like modular synthesis much easier to understand. I know I have tons to learn, but I'm having a ball learning this little beauty!

I bought this thinking I'd need two to make anything that would blow me away, but boy was I so wrong. This thing is such a momster (bad joke) I've created Soundscapes from the dusty cold depths of space, to alien forests full of talking creatures. I've been able to create the exact sounds I've wanted to make with full on modular synthesizers, with only this little synth. Seriously if you want to get into modular, start with here. This synth has not only blown me away with what it can do, but also show how I've already grown with it.

I finally got my hands on the Moog Mother 32 and used it in a few tracks for an ambient music project I'm working on. This is a beast of a synth, easy to program and spits out thick, harmonically rich sounds. Definitely worth every penny!

I recently purchased the moog 37CV and mother 32. The 32 takes a bit of time to get the most out of it , but be patience it is one huge palette of moog tones and rythems. Instant gratification but the real joy is finding new unheard polyrhythmic tones with underlying sub harmonics that are found by using the 37CV outs to control different parts of the mother 32. Then latch the arpegiator on the 37 , engage your favourite echo and. Heaven.
When thrown into any mix the moog stands out but blends perfectly. Hard to get bored with the amount of sound tailoring available. Thanx to Sweetwater staff for a speedy purchase and delivery I recommend both products highly.
Tedk

First of all, the cons - because people don't read reviews to be sold products, that's what the ad is for.
1. The envelope leaves something to be desired, as it is only AR, with a Sustain switch. If it had a full ADSR it would be much easier to dial in sounds. (..or at least a hold time of some sort) You find yourself dialing in very 'samey' sounds that are within a constraint of that finite AR envelope.

2. MIDI implementation is a bit awkward. The sequencer is set to receive transport, no matter what.. Really annoying that we can't just turn off the sequencer. Forces me to have to turn off sync/transport in my DAW. (and I think, even then, it was playing the sequence.. I had to record a blank sequence to shut it up)

Now for the Pros:
1. An EXTREMELY robust sound. It's so full, and deep sounding, even with just the one oscillator. And the filter sounds fantastic. I compared it to my Sub-37, and the Mother-32 has a much more pleasant tone to it, reminiscent of the Moog Modulars. Give it a wash of reverb and delay and you'll be lost in that warm tone.

2. The LFO sounds SO GOOD doing wild audio-rate stuff. This is a fantastic noise machine.

3. The PWM sounds better than any synth I've ever used. You can get these lovely, deep synth-string tones from it. No LFO following, but still, fantastic tone.

4. Don't ask me why, but I find it incredibly easy to do sound design on it. The patch points become very useful, and the sound of the filter + noise... I don't know.. I feel like I can emulate any noise on it. Great for video game sound design.

5. Quality was put into this synth in all the places where you need it. Oscillator, Filter, and the Amp sounds pristine. Loud, clean output gain.

Overall impression is definitely A+ for me. I recommend it.

This synth is awesome. The sequencer is very powerful, and the patch bay allows for mind blowing sound design options. Very easy to get all the nice creamy moog sounds right out of the box, but extensive reading of the manual will help you tap into this unit's secrets (it has quite a few). Hours fly by when you start playing with this thing--it's a pure joy. Also, shout out to Jake, my sales engineer at Sweetwater, who was very helpful in putting together my order!

Very Kool I just got it in mail today and had to force myself to put it away to go to bed. I am going to have a lot of many years of fun experimenting with this little powerhouse, will probably get modules and connect them to it after I get the major swing of the instrument. What else can I say but it is a Moog!!!!!

Everything a monophonic synth should be. Fat analog bass with sweet sweeping Moog ladder filter. With the capabilities of modular. Can't ask for more really. So I bought another Mother-32 to effectively exponentially expand its sonic capabilities! Highly recommend! Sound is top quality, as expected. And the physical build quality is topnotch too!

I addicted for this Moog! Thank you Sweetwater! :)

It is Moog right? But besides that this is a well made and engineered synthesizer. Great and endless richness of sounds. It was tough to desire which Synth/Modular to finally choose from the array of incredible assortment of fantastic choices for Sound-Synthesis creation today.
The very detailed and well produced instructional and teaching videos that Sweetwater kindly offers to costumers is very valuable and a great help to make a purchase desition. Thank you.

endless hours of hands on discovery
And it sounds great
Thanks
For everything

I've always wanted a Moog synthesizer. I had a micro moog back in the day, but it was half broken, and I'm a very Logic-centric musician and producer. I love soft synths. And I love to edit, quantize, and otherwise perfect Erica my MIDI tracks. I wasn't in any way unhappy with the sounds I get from Arturia or Native Instruments, or Logic's own synths, but honestly thought modular look so cool, i want to build one. Well, the second I plugged this little puppy in, I knew what i had been missing. It sounds great! I used it on a recording that night, and it has grown into a pretty awesome little Eurorack synth, with 8 modules and growing. The Mother 32 is a great starting point, because its i/O and MIDI connections, and it all just works, right out of the box. And you will always want to have that amazing Moog filter in your arsenal.

This little unit completely changed the way I think about synthesis. It's compact, well designed, and invites you to noodle to your hearts content. The oscillator is pretty basic, but you can do so much with this little guy, and the sequencer is absolutely brilliant. So great, I now own two of them, and the possibilities really opened further!

The opinion: As I started learning Sound Design, I realized that analog synths was the way to go; once I started researching the market, I had a feeling of trepidation, as it all seem like new technology (and very expensive) for me; but Moog's Mother-32 kept reappearing in my synths' research. The review: to start, it's a Moog; it's a real analog synth and it's very affordable; works well with other analog components, its very easy to learn, and its Eurorack-ready (it comes installed in its own case and its easy to remove it from the case). Once you get the Mother-32, all you have to do is plug it to an electrical outlet and plug headphones or a mixer or an amplifier, and start playing; it's really that easy! Its sound is immediately recognizable, and seems to have no creative limitations; overall, it's much better than buying software synths, and the synthesis techniques apply in the same way as software synths. If you are a beginner sound designer (or a keyboardist) like me, some people may recommend that you start with software synths; I'm glad I bought the real deal!
The extra advice: buy a few more patch cables, as the Mother-32 only comes with 5 6" patch cables; and if you plan on connecting the Mother-32 to other synth gear with patch cables, Tip Top stackable cables are extremely helpful; these stackable cables cost more, but it's very worth the cost.

With the first few hours of having this beauty it was blowing my mind. It doesn't take long to learn how to make sound on it and then once you start playing and patching it that it truly starts to come to life. It was a lot smaller than I visualized it but the sound is big and bold! Looking forward to building a modular around this machine to create deep textures and chaos!

Try this through a proper keyboard amp or through a decent PA. Super smooth and responsive. Use pulse width modulation and you'll swear you've got two oscillators...sequencer will only take you an hour to figure how it's setup...great hardware... Just treat it well and don't be rough and it will reward you.. I use with a Moog LP.... Great pair !

I put together a analog synth from the ground up. Power strip, then rails, then oscillator, then headphone out, then filters... etc. By the time I was done, I probably have saved all that money and just get the Mother 32 that has everything in a convenient package. I don't regret getting all previous modules, but for immediate satisfaction, the Mother 32 is the one.
I have modules from other manufacturers. The Mother 32 will give you that signature sound.
It also will add that color to your analog synth collection.
It was easy to use an old Roland synth as keyboard via MIDI.
For the size, the price, the filtering, the tone and expansion, this machine is a must have.

I was never expecting to buy a Moog at this price, and I for sure did not expect it to sound so satisfying. The single oscillator is awesome to me and the straight forward design is all business. Of course I would love the 55k version, that's similar to what I used to play around on. (I am a little short on the price though!) The design is wonderful and the layout , while simplistic, is very logical. The construction is very good, very solidly built. The sequencer is better than many I have used on synth modules and the MIDI-CV converter makes it well worth owning. Fat sounds, skinny price. Boom! There it is!

This is a fantastic synth as normalled (i.e. not patched up in any way). You're getting a single-oscillator synth with a selection of high-pass or low-pass filter. The options for routing are limited but logical. Use the patch bay for a lot more options. The sound is full ("fat" if you must) and straightforward. It's not a synth that allows for a great departure from "normal" subtractive sounds, nor is it built for that.

The sequencer is excellent. You have two modes--one is "keyboard" which allows a straightforward entry of notes and modifications (glide, accent, etc.) in a sequential way; and "step" which allows you to edit each step discretely. Read the specs for number of notes, etc. For the review, I'm telling you that you have a lot you can edit and modify, and you can get a solid sequence in with little effort. And most importantly, for people who like to record live, you can edit live on the fly. You can punch in on a single step and modify its parameters (note, accent, glide, gate length) on the fly. The in-studio and live performance possibilities are pretty amazing at this price point.

My only complaints are cosmetic/superficial: the three-unit bracket doesn't actually fit three units very well, perhaps because the wooden end-cheeks are slightly too large. Also, the paint finish is pretty thin. I easily scratched down to metal by accidentally brushing a patch cord on the surface. All of this is to say--it's built to a price point. The audio quality does not suffer for that and is 10/10, but the materials quality is maybe 7/10. No worries about the pots, switches, and jacks. All good there.

I highly recommend this module, regardless of your Eurorack ambitions - I'm not doing Euro (I have a 5U MOTM system), and I love these modules!

I own two of these little Mothers and I have to say that Moog once again, has hit it out of the park. A versatile sequencer, patch flexibility and absolutely, that signature faaat Moog sound.

I can only imagine what comes next (914 Fixed Filter Bank in eurorack, please).

If you are just getting into modular synthesis, you can hardly find a better start than this unit and I've used everything from the ARP 2500, which I taught on, to Moog Modulars.

I'll probably have a third Mother-32 soon.

I've had my Mother-32 for a bit less than 3 weeks and am so glad I finally decided to pick one up. As someone who has been interested in modular but didn't really know where to start, this has been a great introduction. Moog's classic Pulse Width and Filter are the stars of the show for me but I'm having a blast exploring new patch ideas every time I sit down with it. Where I'd probably dock stars for a lack of features on any other product, I'm having a lot of fun creating workarounds and solving problems with my Mother-32 that I can't even say the feature limitations are a bad thing as they actively encourage exploration. If you want to dip your toe into the world of modular, pick this bad boy up.

I am a bit biased towards the Moog brand. The Moog synthesizers, Moogerfoogers, and CV accessories I own have provided years of noodling fun. I was not really that surprised to see Moog move into the Eurorack arena. I purchased a Mother-32 along with a DFAM to integrate with other modular (Roland System 500), semi-modular (Korg MS-20 Mini, Korg SQ-1, Arturia BeatStep Pro), and vintage kit (Roland MC-202, SH-101, Moog Source, etc.).
The thing that I think really sells the Mother-32 is how thick it sounds compared the Roland and Korg gear. It"s not as fat as my Minitaur, but more in the neighborhood of my Korg Polysix (KiwiSix upgrade) in unison mode. I have not compared it to a Novation Super Bass Station or Bass Station II. Rather than simply focus on bass lines, I have been just been sequencing phrases and short motifs. The Mother-32 just has more presence than other electronic instruments –namely the Roland System 500– that I have compared it against.
Another thing I like about the Mother-32 is compatibility. The voltages and pulses are pretty standard, mostly ±5V for continuous CV and 0-5V for pulses. The MIDI port is a nice feature for integration with kit that does not support CV and synchronization with MIDI Clock. There are other synchronization options via the set-up menu like DIN Sync at 24 ppq (compatible with vintage Roland kit like the TB-303, TR-606, TR-808, MC-202, etc.). The set-up menu is easily accessible during operation –not while the sequencer is running– and does not required a reboot when you change settings.
The synthesizer architecture is simple single-oscillator, subtractive synthesis, with envelope and LFO modulators with a noise generator / external audio capability. The patchbay expands the modulation options. Sequencing is a breeze with the two different methods for inputting notes, gate times, glides, accents and re-triggers (or ratchets) or editing such events. The Mother-32 is a certainly good instrument for beginners, but with a sound that an old hand can appreciate.

1. Moog sound (could just stop there but will continue)
2. Easy to use semi-modular system
3. Can be used with other modular systems including more Moog M32
4. Great price
5. Awesome controls

I love knobs. I also love semi-modulars. Because of this I haven't been able to put this thing down, and its a Moog! I have had only one problem and that is that unfortunately using any sort of midi controller turns into a hassle as you try and figure out why the heck the Mother's sequencer turns on even though you already have it hooked up to one. Just to find out that it has something to do with how it was built and it will always do this. other than this hangup the Moog Mother 32 is a great sounding synth and can give you that Moog sound even if you are on a budget.

This is an excellent introduction into modular synths, and a great first step for people who want to get into eurorack but aren't sure where to start.

This little thing is powerful. Definitely worth spending some time with the manual getting used to how it works, a little reading will pay off big time. The only reason I didn't give this synth a 5 star rating is that the Frequency knob should have an indent at the 'normal' frequency position. Other than that, this synth is worth every penny.

Analog VCOs and Moog's ladder filter can't be beat for sound. By itself it makes some pretty great noises, but it is a basic mono synth with a single oscillator. Standalone it makes a great bassline machine. When the sequencer is running, pressing any key on the keyboard shifts the sequence's notes to that key. Moog has packed a lot of neat features into this thing. I have the sequencer sync'd to Ableton via the midi in. All of the plugs except the main audio out are on the front panel. The patch bay is and provides some interesting capabilities, but it really needs to be linked up with some other modules to get crazy. I have it paired with a Korg MS-20 Mini. Kinda hard to beat the capabilities and analog VCOs etc for the price.
As far as I can tell it doesn't store sequences once powered off. I didn't read the manual so I don't know if I'm missing something, but I keep it powered on anyway like any old analog gear likes to be. If you want to store complex sequences, just don't unplug it!
The MIDI in parameters are all converted to gate/cv. It receives start stop for the sequencer too, but refer back to the previous sentence. MIDI in params including velocity and pitch bend are all available as control voltage on the panel... :O I'll leave the rest to your imagination.

This instrument makes a welcome addition to my set-up. I've always enjoyed the Moog sound, but never owned any of their instruments.
I purchased it as a way to begin developing a modular system. I think it was a great start!
I love the "rawness" of instruments like this. It takes a little time to figure out how to get it to do what you want, and the manual is essential in order to make any use at all of the sequencer. Once you begin to figure things out, though, you find that the sequencer itself is very versatile. I should be enjoying this instrument for years to come.