I got lost in Moog Messenger’s massive Res Bass sounds

£725 / $815, moogmusic.com

Haven’t you heard? It’s all about the bass. Or, more specifically, it’s all about Res Bass. Sure, Moog Messenger is a two-oscillator monophonic synth with wavefolding capabilities, FM, and plenty of modulation options. Yes, it’s got a robust arpeggiator, a 64-step sequencer with parameter recording, loopable ADRS’s, and the ability to store patch presets. All good stuff to be sure – but it was the new bass compensation feature, which allows you to dial up the filter resonance without losing low-end, that garnered the most attention upon the instrument’s release.

Well, I’m here to tell you that everyone is wrong – Messenger is not, in fact, all about Res Bass. It’s about so much more.

Let’s start with my favourite surprise, the feedback circuit. This is one of the most musically satisfying implementations of feedback I’ve heard in a synth, and part of that is down to where it sits in the signal path. It’s pre-filter, taking its source directly from the mixer output, and this means that you can really push the sound in wild and weird directions before reigning it back in with a low-pass.

Then there’s the sub-oscillator. Erik Norlander, Moog’s Director of Keyboard Development, told me he challenged company veteran and VP of engineering, Steve Dunnington, to add a little “secret Moog sauce” to push Messenger’s capabilities beyond what the Subsequent 37 or Sub-Fatty could achieve. The result is a sub-oscillator with the nifty ability to change waveshape – from triangle wave to square wave with pulse width modulation – independent of its parent signal.

In practice, it’s an understated but surprisingly powerful addition that fills out the sound in a supremely satisfying way. And once you factor in the inclusion of continuous waveshaping and Buchla-style wavefolding on the two main oscillators, FM modulation, and the ability to sync both oscillators for additional tone control, Messenger’s sound design chops look very strong indeed. Using just oscillators and feedback, I found myself getting well and truly lost in the sound of this instrument before ever getting to Messenger’s mighty filter section.

Ok, let’s talk about Res Bass. Using what the company describes as a “unique pole-mixing design”, Messenger claims the ability to retain as much low-end as you could want, even as ear-splitting amounts of filter resonance is dialled in. I can happily report that the feature managed to exceed my high expectations.

If anything, the company has undersold the feature, because it doesn’t just add extra oomph, it can give your sound an entirely new character across the entire frequency spectrum. Bass tones bite, leads feel punchier, and filter sweeps growl with a weight and presence that I’m not sure I’ve heard before.

The new filter innovations don’t stop there. We also get a 2-pole 12dB slope in addition to the traditional 4-pole 24dB slope, and band-pass and high-pass modes. Taken together, these features add a lot of modern functionality without compromising the classic 904A filter sound – I wouldn’t be surprised if some or all of them become a standard part of Moog’s filter design moving forward.

Messenger manages to seem bigger than it actually is. It feels solid and sturdy at 4.9kg, but with dimensions of 58 x 32 cm, this is still a fairly compact instrument. Yet nothing feels cramped; there are full-sized semi-weighted keys with aftertouch, room for pitch and modulation wheels, and extensive I/O options which include MIDI over USB-C and DIN, CV/Gate ins and outs, and external audio input to the filter.

Borrowing from its big brother synth, Muse, Messenger also boasts a powerful arpeggiator and sequencer combo. The line between these two melodic tools is actually quite blurry because the arpeggiator can act as a pseudo-sequencer with a 16-note pattern and the ability to turn individual steps off. Meanwhile, the sequencer brings more powerful options to the fore with per-step parameter recording, note probability, and note pool; a great new feature that lets you play a set of possible notes for each sequence step to draw from.

One thing you won’t see on Messenger is a digital display. Perhaps it’s just my own screen fatigue, but it felt genuinely refreshing to navigate this instrument using only physical buttons and dials. Thanks to a skilfully executed ‘one-knob-per-function’ layout and a classic left-to-right signal path, this instrument has a learning curve suitable for beginners and pros alike. After using it for less than an hour, both in-depth sound sculpting and mid-performance tweaks began to feel largely intuitive.

That said, there are some drawbacks to a screen-less design, and these are apparent when using the arpeggiator or navigating the config menu to find deeper settings. Basic functions are a breeze, and even more complex parameters are all deftly handled with just a few button-plus-dial combos. But if you want to switch the arpeggiation to a specific pattern or fine-tune the pitch bend range, then consulting the manual is likely the only way to find what you’re looking for.

For a time, Moog’s instruments started to feel like bespoke luxury items – priced at levels that average musos would seldom consider. Messenger’s £725 ($815) entry fee is clearly a pivot moment, placing it firmly in ‘premium workhorse’ territory.

But the monophonic synth market has plenty of sharp-elbowed competition, and while Messenger lowers the ‘Moog-markup’, it certainly hasn’t eliminated it. For a few hundred less, you could net yourself a Novation Bass Station II or an Arturia MiniBrute 2. And, if you’re open to digital options like the Korg Wavestate MkII, or hybrids like Behringer’s Deep Mind 12, then the competition is arguably steeper still.

That said, I doubt anyone could regret investing in Messenger. It’s chock full of thoughtful design choices, future-ready features, and all backed up by genuinely fantastic sound. If you’re a first-timer looking for an approachable entry point to the world of synthesis, a professional looking to bring premium tones to the stage or studio, or if you’re just longing to own a piece of the world’s most famous synth brand, there’s never been a better moment to step into Moog’s world.

Key features

• Two oscillators, sub oscillator, and noise generator
• Classic ladder filter enhanced with multimode functionality and Res Bass
• Two LFOs with options for frequency and audio rate modulation
• 32 full-sized semi-weighted keys with channel aftertouch
• 256 included presets
• Pre-filter feedback circuit
• External audio input to filter
• 6 CV ins/outs, MIDI over USB-C and DIN, sustain and expression pedal inputs
• 64 Step sequencer with note probability and parameter recording

Clovis McEvoy is a writer, researcher, and composer. His work has appeared in MusicTech, MusicRadar, Future Music, and the UN’s WIPO Magazine. He is currently an Affiliate Researcher at the University of Greenwich, investigating immersive music and media. He is an award-winning sound artist and founding member of the multidisciplinary group Rent Collective.