Moog didn’t come here to play. The Moog Muse is their latest heavyweight analog poly, and it’s dressed to kill — eight voices, dual filters, a modulation matrix that eats lesser synths for breakfast. This isn’t a throwback; it’s a flex. A bi-timbral monster made for players who want more — more texture, more movement, more damn voltage.

But it’s also not cheap, and it’s not flawless. The Muse asks for your time, your wallet, and a healthy appreciation for knob-per-function chaos. If that sounds like a trade-off you’re into, keep reading.

Design & Interface: Retro Muscle, Modern Guts

From the outside, the Muse looks like it could bench press your laptop. At about 14.5 kg, it’s dense and deliberate — all metal chassis and a front panel absolutely packed with knobs. Over 180 of them. It’s a tweakfest in the best way. You want minimalism? Go find a soft synth. The Muse gives you full control, front and center, with a layout that somehow stays intuitive despite its complexity.

The 61-key semi-weighted keyboard feels fantastic — responsive, playable, expressive — and yes, there’s aftertouch. Not polyphonic, but still. The small OLED screen is functional, not flashy, and you’ll wish it were bigger once you dive into the deeper modulation menus. Still, between the screen and the physical layout, it’s fast to navigate once you’re familiar.

Sound Engine: Warmth, Width, and a Whole Lot of Dirt

This is where the Muse earns its crown. Each voice features two Voyager-inspired VCOs, a modulation oscillator, and Moog’s classic CP3-style mixer. That means you’re working with thick, analog tone from the jump — and if you push the mixer hard enough, you’ll get some delicious saturation baked right in.

The dual ladder filters can run in series, parallel, or stereo. Translation: wide, sculpted pads or gnarly filter sweeps that scream across the stereo field. Pair that with dual VCAs per voice (based on old Moog Modular circuits), and you’ve got a synth that can sound huge, subtle, or just plain unruly — depending on how hard you push it.

The Muse doesn’t just model the Moog sound. It owns it.

Modulation & Performance: Built to Be Broken (In the Best Way)

This isn’t a “press play” synth. The Muse is designed to move — literally and sonically. It comes loaded with two LFOs, two looping envelopes, and a 16-slot mod matrix per timbre. You can assign almost anything to anything and build patches that evolve, mutate, and rewire themselves mid-performance.

The 64-step sequencer includes parameter locks, ratchets, probability, and real-time recording. The arpeggiator is just as deep. There’s even a diffusion delay that mimics vintage rack gear — a smart addition that gives your patches a bit of dusty digital shimmer without reaching for external FX.

Moog could’ve coasted here. Instead, they went full mad scientist. Respect.

Connectivity: The Right Kinds of Old School

You get MIDI, USB-B (a weird miss in a USB-C world), CV/Gate I/O, and balanced stereo outs. The Muse doesn’t try to reinvent connectivity — it just works. Whether you’re slamming it into a Eurorack setup, running it as a MIDI brain, or tracking it into a DAW, it plays nice.

No onboard audio interface, no wireless fluff. That’s either a flaw or a feature, depending on how much you like your workflow simple and grounded.

Limitations: Not Quite a God Synth (Yet)

No piece of gear is perfect, and the Muse has its quirks.

First, only eight voices. That’s not bad — but if you’re layering both timbres and holding chords, you’ll hit voice stealing sooner than you’d like. No poly aftertouch, which feels like a missed opportunity in 2025. And yeah, the price. At this level, you’re paying not just for sound, but for feel — and for some, that’ll be a hard sell.

Also: while the layout is generous, the OLED screen is tiny. Deep dive menus can feel like you’re threading a needle in the dark. It’s a “learn it and live in it” kind of synth.

The Verdict: Worth the Throne?

If you want pristine digital clarity and endless preset banks, keep scrolling. But if you want hands-on analog control, a sound that breathes fire, and a synth that dares you to break it in new ways, the Moog Muse is one hell of a ride.

It’s not just another Moog. It’s the next Moog — a bold, brutal analog flagship for people who don’t want safe or sterile. Is it expensive? Absolutely. Is it overkill for some workflows? Totally. But for the right player, it’s a lifetime instrument.