Differentiating the current Moog line up (core sounds)

[HansHoppe]

Of the current offerings of the Muse, Grandmother, Matriarch and Sound Studio, are there any major differences in the core sounds or is mainly in the modulation, sequencing and effects capabilities? Do all of these synths have the same basic oscillators and filters or are there key differences in the core sounds that would make certain models pair better together?

[stiiiiiiive]

Hi HansHoppe, welcome to the forum!

I haven't played any one of the synths you mention (except a DFAM, but that's differnt), and I don't know which pairs better with which.

What I do know for sure though is that different Moog instruments can sound different when it comes to that "core sound".

I tried the Little Phatty, Sub Phatty, Voyager OS, Model D reissue, MG-1, Satellite, Opus 3 (well, does this one count?...) and they all have a slightly different thing. Not only the filter or oscillators can sound distinct but the VCAs can make a difference too, as well as the way they are "assembled", read level/gain staging (not sure this is the apropriate wording).

On top of that (althoug that's a bit off topic), the feeling I had on each synths controls was not the same.

[tickertape01]

I haven't played the Muse, the others you mentioned I own and play and I combine them which is to my pleasure. Like stiiiiiiiive I think that they've got different core sounds, Matriarch, Grandmother and Mother-32 have at the core that classical, fat Moog sound whereas Moog One, Minimoog Voyager and also Subsequent37 sound a bit more modernish to my ears. Subharmonicon and Labyrinth have core sounds which are quite different again, Labyrinth of course due to its unique sound structure with wavefolder etc. (I do love Labyrith's sound with its metallic fatness, hard to describe.) Mother-32 and Subharmonicon come together in that Sound Studio 3 piece set although they sound very different but so far I haven't heard anybody complain that they don't fit.
If you want you can listen to an example of Moogs with different core sounds combined in a recording on a Tascam DP-24, no FX applied except for the Tascam's reverb. It starts with Moog One and Matriarch followed by DFAM, M-32, Subharmonicon and Labyrinth with a lead sound from Voyager.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLW9O_HQebo