With the Messenger, Moog presents an analog keyboard synthesizer that combines classic Moog features with new sound design. The user interface frames the 32-key keyboard and conveys the familiar structure that has been known and appreciated since the Minimoog. At first glance, the combination of sound-relevant components consisting of the oscillators plus sub-oscillator, mixer, filter, VCA, envelopes and LFOs is typical Moog. At second glance, the variable waveforms of the tone generators and the newly designed Multimode filter including res bass circuit and adjustable feedback make all the difference! The Messenger knows how to convince with pure analog fatness and delivers an extremely versatile sound palette, which can also convince far away from solid basses and radiant solo sounds. If Panel Mode is activated, the current controller settings are used; the Messenger then behaves as analog as its historical ancestors, who knew no presets.
Solid analog sounds!
The Messenger's signal path consists of two oscillators with variable waveforms, a sub-oscillator, a noise generator, a newly designed multimode filter and the VCA. Both oscillators can be faded continuously from a spectrum waveform via triangle, sawtooth to square and pulse. The first oscillator is followed by a sub-oscillator exactly one octave lower, which also has a variable waveform. Hardsync can be activated in the oscillator section to create cutting solo sounds, and FM and modulation of the OSC2 Freq, OSC2 Wave or Sub Wave destinations is also provided using a filter envelope. The tone generators are combined in the signal mixer, where the sound spectrum is supplemented by a noise generator. The leveled signals flow into the Multimode filter, which has some special features. Lowpass with 12dB and 24dB, Bandpass and highpass are available as filter characteristics. The resonance control has been supplemented with a res bass circuit so that no thrust is lost at high resonance values. The FB/EXT control has a dual function: if no cable is plugged in, it acts as a feedback control, otherwise an external audio signal such as a drum computer can be fed in here as a fifth signal source. In addition to keytracking and envelope intensity, oscillator 2 can be used as an FM source for the cutoff parameter. The last element in the signal path is the analog VCA.
Classic modulation options
There are two ADSR envelopes for modulation, which are primarily assigned to the filter and VCA, and two LFOs. The envelopes can be set to loop mode separately and controlled dynamically via velocity. The two LFOs are implemented differently. LFO1 offers the four waveforms triangle, sawtooth, ramp and square, can be synchronized to the clock and can optionally modulate the cutoff, OSC2 Freq, OSC1 Wave or SubWave destinations. The second LFO with triangle waveform is linked to the modulation wheel and can be assigned to the targets Pitch, Cutoff and Amp. The modulation targets for velocity, aftertouch and the expression input can be set using the buttons on the control panel.
Sequencer & arpeggiator
The integrated step sequencer supports sequences with a length of up to 64 steps and even records parameter progressions. A total of 256 patterns can be saved. The arpeggiator offers the usual repertoire of playback directions along with a selection of different arpeggio patterns that focus on rhythm and note length. The Messenger has 256 memory locations for your own sounds, 240 of which are filled with sounds ex works. Naturally, these can be overwritten with your own ideas.
Connections
As far as the connections are concerned, you'll find everything you could possibly need in the studio and on stage: MIDI In/Out and USB MIDI for note and data exchange with the DAW and other MIDI instruments, two pedal inputs for Volume and expression as well as a mono output round off the features. The audio input makes it possible to process an external audio signal, such as a drum machine, with the Messenger's filter and VCA. If you want to use the Messenger together with a modular system or semi-modular synthesizers, you can do this quickly using the clock inputs and outputs as well as CV/gate inputs and outputs.
Introducing Moog Messenger | Performance by Lisa Bella Donna
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