Image credit: Moog
Moog launches Mavis: a small but powerful budget-friendly semi-modular synthesizer with authentic analog circuitry.
The Moog Mavis is a low cost, semi-modular analog synthesizer. Despite its affordable price, it has the classic Moog sound, touch and quality. Plus, you can use it standalone or integrate it into your Eurorack (44 hp). It has a real analog circuit with 24 patch points, an integrated keyboard and an entirely analog engine engine with the new Moog wave folding circuit.
Moog Mavis: An Affordable Buildable Semi-Modular Synthesizer
Mavis is a small DIY synthesizer that you assemble yourself. What distinguishes Mavis from other Moog DIY synths like Werkstat-01 is that this synthesizer uses synth techniques that other Moog synths do not have.
But before we get into those technical details, let’s talk about the DIY aspect.
With no soldering required, you need to place its circuit board in its plastic case, mount the faceplate and screw the 24 patch connectors. And that’s all!
Additionally, the four patch cables are supplied with the Mavis in addition to some preset cards. As a result, getting started should be as easy as ABC.
As we mentioned before, Mavis will fit perfectly in your Eurorack with its 44 HP size. And in addition to patch cables, a 13-key, single-octave mini keyboard is provided for playing notes and interacting with your sound. And 22 specified parameter controls let you tweak and play with the sonic possibilities in front of you.
Wave folding circuit and Moog synth parameters
Sitting just to the right of the pay patch is a brand new sound engine. New wave folder the circuit shapes and can bend incoming waves, setting this synth in a lane of its own. In short, the wavefolder lets you create entirely new waveforms rather than being stuck with the classic saw and square wave.
And next to the Folder Wave is the VCO (oscillator) section. Pitch and VCO waveform controls are located here, and you can continuously adjust between saw and square oscillator waves. Other controls here include Pulse Width, VCO Mix, Pitch Mod Amount, and PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) Amount.
Moving further to the right, the filter controls include cutoff, resonance, VCF modulation mix (filter), and VCO modulation amount.
On the far right is the output volume control and a switch for VCA (amplifier) mode.
In the modulation section, the LFO uses adjustable rate and LFO-Wave parameters to manipulate the modulation. And to the right of the LFO is the envelope generator.
Connectivity
Despite all these benefits, one issue that some users may notice is the lack of modern connectivity. Although the synth uses a real analog circuit at an affordable price, there are no digital connection options for lunch or the integration of the device into your DAW.
These don’t have to be problems though. If you want a larger set of keys to play your sound, you’ll need a keyboard capable of driving voltage. On the DAW integration side, a mini-jack to 1/4″ adapter should allow you to connect your Moog Mavis to your audio interface. But it is all the additional equipment.
Price and availability
The Moog Mavis is available now for $415 / 399 euros / £343.
