A first for Moog: The new Moog Labyrinth synthesizer integrates elements of West Coast synthesis, which was originally developed by Bob Moog's "competitor" Don Buchla. This synth combines those elements with a very unusual sequencer concept. The Moog Labyrinth thus expands Moog's semi-modular product range, introducing new sonic possibilities and a completely different approach to laying down grooves and sequences. The patch field allows users to combine the synthesizer and sequencer functions in new ways, and to integrate other semi-modular synthesizers and Eurorack systems into the signal path. All this could make the Moog Labyrinth an adventurous musician's new creative hub, as its sequencer delivers results that are wholly unpredictable and genuinely surprising. Curiosity, experimentation, and perseverance will be rewarded with fresh, unique sounds.
The Moog Labyrinth has a sine and a triangular oscillator, which can be operated in parallel and ring-modulated. Alternatively, VCO1 can be modulated by VCO2, equivalent to a complex oscillator. A wave folder and a low-pass/band-pass filter can be used for sound processing, arranged in one of three different ways. However, the Moog Labyrinth's real pièce de résistance is its generative sequencer, which has two rows to control the oscillators as well as the wave folder and filter. The sequencer is based on a bit-shift register and random values, and the value range and probability of the steps can be influenced to a certain percentage while still being randomised. Different lengths result in a constant offset between the two sequences, and the steps can be inverted using the flip function, which can also be controlled via trigger signals.
The Moog Labyrinth can only be manipulated deliberately to a limited extent: Chance and intuitive reactions are fundamental to the sequencer's generative concept. Playing it means being patient with the generally non-reproducible results, and learning to seize the moment. To help users better understand the complex possibilities of its signal path routing, Moog has put some video tutorials online. Still, this sequencer is never going to supply a string of hit melodies; instead, it will generate a steady stream of inspiring material that can be recorded, extracted, and further processed in a DAW. The Moog Labyrinth synthesizer is therefore particularly suitable for studio work. Experienced performers with the courage to take risks can, of course, also use this unusual synthesizer live and perhaps experience one of those "magical moments".
The US manufacturer of synthesizers, based in Asheville, North Carolina, is one of the pioneers in this field and has legendary status. Robert Moog had been involved with electronic sound generation since the 1950s and his first experience was with the manufacture of theremins. The breakthrough came in 1968 with the Grammy-winning album "Switched-On Bach" by musician Wendy Carlos (then know as Walter Carlos), recorded in multitrack with a mono synthesizer. The Minimoog, released in 1971, became the most popular synthesizer of the 1970s and is still considered the benchmark for the quality of synthesised sounds. It and the following devices, like the Memorymoog, Polymoog, and Prodigy, shaped the sound of countless albums, from Stevie Wonder to The Police and from Saga to Kraftwerk.
In principle, the two rows of the Moog Labyrinth sequencer are assigned to the two VCOs. However, it is also possible to combine both sequences, or to have them influence each other. One of the most interesting functions here is the way the bit flip function is controlled as it switches the individual steps on and off. If sequence 2 "flips" the bits of sequence 1, the number of active steps changes permanently. This generative process can be used to introduce even more variety by shortening sequence 2 and using more active bits. If the "Corrupt" function is also brought into play, sequence 2 itself – nominally the control sequence – changes randomly, which in turn has an effect on sequence 1. If this has ultimately resulted in an interesting pattern, "Corrupt" can be set to the value zero, and the corresponding part can be recorded directly in the DAW for further editing.