Review: Moog Messenger

Review: Corey Hague






Don’t be confused by the name, the Moog Messenger is very much a brand new synth. If you’re a Moog trainspotter you may have heard about the Messenger from the past – or the Sirin Analog Messenger of Joy, to give it its full name. But the Messenger isn’t that diminutive, limited edition box that was based on the Taurus from 1975, this is an entirely fresh mono synth with some clever approaches to the classic Moog sound.
A SHOT AT MESSENGER
Nice and weighty, the Messenger offers 32 full-sized keys in a layout that doesn’t compromise on ergonomics at all – it’s not a big synth that will struggle to fit into your studio, but nothing about it feels small or pokey. Think of it like a modern hotel room that manages to fit what you need into a pleasant, self contained space.
In practice that means that almost every function has its own button and it’s easy to understand what’s going on just by glancing at the control panel – you’re unlikely to be bamboozled by mystery LFOs or pesky switches pulling double duty here. Even on a dark stage the full spectrum of controls are easily identified by their LED lights and, refreshingly for a modern synth, there’s not a single screen to be seen anywhere on the Messenger.
Round the back you’ve got a full complement of MIDI, USB-C and CV controls laid out with plenty of room to actually plug things in without pretzel fingers. Press the power button and you’re ready to start making sounds – there’s no startup time to contend with at all.
BIG GRINS
So what happens when you press a key? Big grins and wonderful sounds. It’s precisely what you want from a mono synth; thick, rich timbres that respond to control tweaks in a pleasant way, from subtle to extreme. The keys are great to use and the velocity response, aftertouch and note stealing give lots of life and feeling to the sounds even if you’re not a gifted player. Having full-sized keys is quite luxurious and it improves the subtlety you can achieve from the instrument. You’ll find yourself playing them a lot, even if your usual workflow tends to revolve more around a piano roll in a DAW.
The sounds comes courtesy of two oscillators with wavefolding capabilities and a sub oscillator with continuously variable waveshapes that can also do sync and FM. The oscillators do a wonderful job delivering a wide range of sounds and I appreciated how enthusiastic the noise generator is, but the undisputed star of the Messenger is the filter.






NEED TO KNOW
Moog Messenger
Analogue Monosynth






PRICE
A$1649 RRP
US$899



CONTACT
CMI: cmi.com.au
Moog: moogmusic.com



PROS

Superb filter with Resonant Bass
Inspiring arpeggiator
Full size keys
One knob per function



CONS

Power pack underwhelming
Lack of effects might bother some



SUMMARY
Moog has plenty of classic mono synths in its lineup, but the Messenger is a huge step forward for a brand built on legacy. The filter is an eye-opener and an instant classic. It’s fun, easy to use but also a sonic powerhouse.










FILTER TALK
The Messenger’s filter offers 24dB low pass, 12dB low pass, band pass and high pass which all sound great as far as filters go – but the real trick up its sleeve is the Resonant Bass button, which miraculously preserves low end when the resonance is increased. That may not seem all that exciting, but in use it’s nothing short of incredible.
Full disclosure time: I’m an absolute filter addict. Filters make up a large segment of all my Eurorack modules. I’ve spent far too much on esoteric original designs, recreations of old sampler filters and emulations of Oberheim, Roland and Wasp filters. I even have a few classic Moog ladder filters alongside some digital modules. I love them all dearly, but none of them come anywhere near the magic of the filter in the Messenger.
The ability to dial in a filter sound that has the right amount of bite and rasp while still maintaining the low end of a patch is something I’ve never experienced before, even in the plug-in realm. It’s a totally unique function and you’ll quickly fall in love with it, chiefly because it manages to keep the character of a sound that’s being heavily filtered without becoming weedy or shrill. And the fact that it still sounds organic to the original patch rather than just a gimmicky ‘Bass Boost’ slapped over the output makes it even more endearing. The science behind the achievement is beyond my understanding, but it’s legitimately impressive.
ARP IDEAS
While the Messenger could probably coast on the glory of this filter witchcraft, it’s not resting on it’s laurels. The arpeggiator section is a pleasure to use – it’s deep and flexible making it an arp-ists delight. There are plenty of timing, direction and swing options to kickstart ideas and it’s so easy to record your own ideas you’ll actually make use of it, which isn’t always the case for modern synths. The sequencer is equally simple, with 64 steps, chance operations and parameter recording to help patterns breathe no matter how many times they repeat.



The best way to describe it would be a classic sportscar that’s been upgraded with power steering, AC and GPS











THE PRESETS
Then there’s the preset sounds, which are mostly top notch. It’s never entirely fair to judge a synth by the patches it ships with, but the Messenger has some great ones locked and loaded. Unsurprisingly for a mono synth it has some hefty bass and sub sounds, including the most usable 808 sound I’ve ever come across in a synth and some impressively grindy LFO’d mid-range snarls that would live happily in modern drum and bass or EDM. It’s not exactly Serum in a box, but it’s not far from it once things get modulating.
However the bells, percussion, lead and atmosphere presets are all really solid starting points for much more than just rattling subs, and you’ll be happily moving up and down octaves experimenting with sounds. The fact that the presets only exist as buttons and banks and not names on an LCD screen is a big plus – there’s nothing to influence your opinion other than the sound. And because the Messenger has no built-in effects, the sounds aren’t relying on reverb or delay for character.
MONO TONE
Mono synths are sometimes overlooked for their lack of bells and whistles – they don’t always leap off the spec sheet as exciting instruments, but there’s a reason they’ve stuck around all this time. Moog has plenty of classic monos in its lineup, but the Messenger is a huge step forward for a brand built on legacy. The best way to describe it would be a classic sportscar that’s been upgraded with power steering, AC and GPS. They haven’t sacrificed what makes it special, but they’ve added some extra modcons that you’ll appreciate in daily use.
If I was forced to nitpick, it would be a short list: the AC plug the Messenger comes with doesn’t quite feel as premium as the synth itself. While it’s fine, it does feel a bit short and thin and I wonder how it would handle road duties.
Other than that, the only other grievance I can think of is: when can I get that filter in a standalone unit? The Messenger does allow for external sources to be routed through the filter, but a dedicated unit would happily find a spot in any studio. As it stands, I’m currently clearing a Messenger-sized space in my setup, and it’s not because I’m lacking mono synths or filters, it’s just a brilliant instrument.












KEY FEATURES

32 semi-weighted full-size keys with velocity and aftertouch for responsive feel and dynamic control
Two continuously variable-shape VCOs and unique hybrid wavefolders, sync, and FM capabilities
Sub-oscillator with continuously variable waveshape for added bass weight
Moog transistor ladder filter with unique pole-mixing design for 4-pole low-pass, 2-pole low-pass, band-pass, and high-pass responses
Resonance control with resonance bass compensation (RES BASS) switch to preserve and punctuate low end
Variable shape LFO (LFO 1) with sync, reset, and independent modulation bus for pulse-width modulation, dynamic wavefolding, filter FM, and more
256 preset locations with 240 factory presets organised into 16 categorised banks for immediate access to professionally designed tones and textures (basses, leads, pads, arps, percussion, and more)
I/O

Headphone output
Analogue clock in/out, control voltage in/out, gate in/out via 6 x 3.5mm jacks for interfacing with analog synths and Eurorack
MIDI IN/OUT via five-pin DIN or USB-C for compatibility with your favourite DAW
Sustain pedal and expression pedal inputs via 2 x 6.5mm jacks for further control of sound in performance settings


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