Mother Users: Moog announce Spectravox, Labyrinth incoming…

Stuntman_mike

Reference: https://www.soundonsound.com/news/moog-announce-spectravox

The latest addition to Moog’s range of compact semi-modular instruments has arrived, offering a blend of classic and cutting-edge features. Combining the functionality of a synthesizer and a vocoder, Spectravox is capable of producing an array of interesting sounds, and can be played either as a standalone instrument or form part of a larger Eurorack modular setup.

The instrument, which originally appeared as a prototype at Moogfest in 2019, revolves around a 10-band filter bank that has been teamed up with an analogue oscillator and a dynamic white noise generator, and promises to provide experimental sound designers with everything from lively drones to colourful tonal sweeps. As well as generating its own range of sounds, Spectravox features an XLR/TRS program input that allows users to incorporate external instruments and voices. A secondary filter bank analyses the spectral content of incoming audio, and allows users to imprint its timbral characteristic onto the internal sounds.

“Spectravox enhances Moog’s modular synthesis legacy by integrating a sophisticated vocoder alongside powerful analogue synthesis capabilities. This instrument is designed to give musicians comprehensive control over their sound, enabling detailed texture shaping and a broad spectrum of sonic experimentation.” - Max Ravitz, Product Strategist, Moog Music

As with the likes of the Mother-32, Subharmonicon and DFAM, Spectravox occupies a 60HP chassis and sports a decidedly Moog-like top panel design. Its semi-modular design means that users can begin playing with patching required, but more in-depth sound design can be pursued using a collection of 3.5mm patch points, which facilitate both internal and external routing options. The most obvious companions are of course the aforementioned collection of existing semi-modular Moogs, but thanks to its Eurorack form factor, it can be housed happily alongside a huge collection of other modules and instruments.

Pricing & Availability

Pricing and availability information for the Spectravox is yet to be confirmed.

http://www.moogmusic.com/products/spectravox

bygjohn

Andertons in the UK have it on preorder at £599. So similar to the other Moog semis.

kirmesteggno

Great inspiration for a new Drambo rack 🤤

Stuntman_mike

@bygjohn said:
Andertons in the UK have it on preorder at £599. So similar to the other Moog semis.

Pricing makes sense, thank you for the update!

Stuntman_mike

@kirmesteggno said:
Great inspiration for a new Drambo rack 🤤

Great point, I’m sure we’ll see someone create a Drambo take of this module soon 🙌🏽

BroCoast

It’s a cool idea.

I don’t buy synths anymore but I imagine it would be fun with a few of the others in that format.

bygjohn

@BroCoast said:
It’s a cool idea.

I don’t buy synths anymore but I imagine it would be fun with a few of the others in that format.

It’s very attractive (I have the other 3 in this series). wallet runs and hides

Sarah Belle Reid has a really informative video on it, which goes into the theory. And she has this feedback patch towards the end of the video that just sounds gorgeous!

Loopop has an excellent walkthrough and demo, too.

Stuntman_mike

But wait, there’s more…

Source: https://www.gearnews.com/moog-labyrinth/

Moog Labyrinth
A leak from online retailer Turnlab has revealed the Moog Labyrinth, a tantalizing new analogue synth with seemingly West Coast synthesis-inspired parameters.

The leak (which has already been taken down) showed a new synthesizer in Moog’s standard tabletop/60HP Eurorack format. It has two oscillators, with the second VCO actually a triangle LFO capable of modulating the sinewave-running first a la a complex oscillator. There is also ring modulation plus noise with an adjustable tone.

Moving on, a voltage-controllable wavefolder adds to the possible West Coast excitement. There’s also an East Coast-trad low-pass filter, with the order of the wavefolder and filter swappable. Finally, there appear to be two decay envelopes.

Dual Labyrinth Sequencer
Now let’s address the name, Labyrinth. It calls to mind the Minotaur (which Moog has referenced in its own Minitaur). There is some discussion on the Moog forums that the company registered the name a few years ago. Its description? “Sound frequency filters for controlling audio parameters by raising or lowering the gain of specific audio frequencies using a multiple resonant filter array and animating those frequencies using a built-in pattern generator.”

That built-in pattern generator appears to be twin sequencers, with adjustable sequenced control over the VCO, VCW (Voltage Controlled Wavefolder, presumably) and VCF cutoff.

There are other parameters though that we don’t have explanations for, such as Corrupt, Bits and all of its permutations such as Bit Shift and BitFlip. Is this some type of shift register or other, similar logic concept, as Amazona has guessed?

Moog Labyrinth Price and Availability?
Moog will be at Superbooth24 but there’s no guarantee that the Labyrinth will be part of the display. We’ll let you know if it is, though.

No official price or availability, of course, but the original retail listing said €699 including VAT.

bygjohn

Well, that’s completely thrown the proverbial cat among the pigeons WRT my future hardware direction! As if Spectravox hadn’t already done that…

I’ve been contemplating (well, agonising about) several different directions (roughly: a Mutable clone case, the Make Noise dark easel, the Make Noise tape and microsound machine), and now Moog come up with these two. Well, one and a rumour, but if it got as far as a retail listing it’s probably not far off.

sigh

Looks like Labyrinth might assuage my West Coast leanings (though I have a Mavis, so I’m part way there), plus the generative sequencers etc have loads of possibilities. I’m now thinking these two plus a Moog 60 HP case with a few utilities and effects stacked next to the Sound Studio might be a really neat system…

audiblevideo

@bygjohn
or you can just dump 2ish grand on this... (which is different than all of the above synths mentioned)

cem_olcay

I wasn’t really excited about the Spectravox. It wasn’t a surprise because they have introduced it on Moogfest a few years back. But what is that Labyrinth, man it looks gooooood! Now I’m interested

Stuntman_mike

@audiblevideo said:
@bygjohn
or you can just dump 2ish grand on this... (which is different than all of the above synths mentioned)

This looks cool

bygjohn

@audiblevideo said:
@bygjohn
or you can just dump 2ish grand on this... (which is different than all of the above synths mentioned)

Heh, yes, i watched that last night. You can tell Superbooth is on the horizon, with all this stuff coming out.

There’s something about the controller on the Voltage Lab that I found off putting. I think it’s the complexity, which looks potentially more confusing than the M32 sequencer, for which I have to resort to the manual half the time. But the thing is a bargain compared to a Music Easel.

Bottom line is I’m not rushing into any of this, until I’m clearer where I want to end up. Too much cash involved for impulse buys, though Spectravox is blooming tempting.

Wrlds2ndBstGeoshredr

@bygjohn said:

@audiblevideo said:

There’s something about the controller on the Voltage Lab that I found off putting. I think it’s the complexity, which looks potentially more confusing than the M32 sequencer, for which I have to resort to the manual half the time. But the thing is a bargain compared to a Music Easel.

Just looking at the sequencer layout--it reminds me of the Make Noise Pressure Points, which is far simpler than the M32 and hardly requires a manual at all. My guess is that you could get a sequence going on this thing with no study at all. But it does seem to have a lot of additional features that PP lacks that would require some study.

I though Pittsburgh Modular went out of business a few years ago. Was I mistaken, or did they go out and come back?

Stuntman_mike

@Wrlds2ndBstGeoshredr said:

@bygjohn said:

@audiblevideo said:

There’s something about the controller on the Voltage Lab that I found off putting. I think it’s the complexity, which looks potentially more confusing than the M32 sequencer, for which I have to resort to the manual half the time. But the thing is a bargain compared to a Music Easel.

Just looking at the sequencer layout--it reminds me of the Make Noise Pressure Points, which is far simpler than the M32 and hardly requires a manual at all. My guess is that you could get a sequence going on this thing with no study at all. But it does seem to have a lot of additional features that PP lacks that would require some study.

I though Pittsburgh Modular went out of business a few years ago. Was I mistaken, or did they go out and come back?

Pittsburgh Modular has been busy making new stuff last few years!

bygjohn

@Stuntman_mike said:

@Wrlds2ndBstGeoshredr said:

@bygjohn said:

@audiblevideo said:

There’s something about the controller on the Voltage Lab that I found off putting. I think it’s the complexity, which looks potentially more confusing than the M32 sequencer, for which I have to resort to the manual half the time. But the thing is a bargain compared to a Music Easel.

Just looking at the sequencer layout--it reminds me of the Make Noise Pressure Points, which is far simpler than the M32 and hardly requires a manual at all. My guess is that you could get a sequence going on this thing with no study at all. But it does seem to have a lot of additional features that PP lacks that would require some study.

I though Pittsburgh Modular went out of business a few years ago. Was I mistaken, or did they go out and come back?

Pittsburgh Modular has been busy making new stuff last few years!

Yeah, and they seem to be the same people as Cre8audio (East Beast, West Pest and Nifty cases).

bygjohn

@Wrlds2ndBstGeoshredr said:

Just looking at the sequencer layout--it reminds me of the Make Noise Pressure Points, which is far simpler than the M32 and hardly requires a manual at all. My guess is that you could get a sequence going on this thing with no study at all. But it does seem to have a lot of additional features that PP lacks that would require some study.

Yeah, there definitely a kinship with PP and the 0-Ctrl. But this one does seem to have a lot of menu stuff going on - even Hainbach says it’s a bit menu-divey. Though to be fair, he did say it didn’t take long to get up to speed. But for a bit over half of the price of this you could get the 0-Coast/Strega/0-Ctrl combo, which might be more my kind of thing.