Lost in Res Bass

Moog’s new Messenger arrives with a big talking point, Res Bass a bass-compensation circuit that lets you crank filter resonance without hollowing out the low end. It’s a headline feature for good reason, but the instrument’s real story is how many different ways it invites you to sculpt weight and motion: a multimode ladder filter with that switchable compensation, continuously variable waveshapes with built-in wavefolding, a clever feedback path, and a sequencer that nudges you toward pattern evolution rather than loop fatigue.‍

Sound & the “Res Bass” reality

Messenger’s filter is classic Moog DNA, but updated: 24dB and 12dB low-pass, plus band-pass and high-pass, all with Res Bass available in every mode. In practice, it means you can chase acidic resonance peaks while your sub information stays anchored, club-friendly and FOH-approved.

Feedback worth riding

The surprise MVP is the feedback circuit. Because of how it’s tapped in the signal path, you can push the sound into harmonically complex territory before taming it again with the low-pass, perfect for aggressive bass timbres that still read as musical rather than brittle. It’s one of the most satisfying feedback implementations on a modern mono.

Oscillators, wavefolding and that sub “sauce”

Two primary VCOs offer continuous waveshaping; sweep counter-clockwise and you fall into Buchla-style wavefolding for extra bite. The sub-oscillator carries its own continuously variable waveshape, triangle through PWM, independent of its parent, a subtle but powerful way to thicken lows without mud. Add hard sync and FM between oscillators and you’re deep into nuanced tone design before touching the filter.

Sequencer & arpeggiator: probability in your pocket

Messenger’s performance brain is properly modern: a 64-step sequencer with note/gate probability, note pools and per-step parameter recording (Elektron-style), plus a robust arpeggiator. It’s enough “generative” behavior to keep ideas evolving live without surrendering control. Patch memory is generous (banks of stored presets), so it’s as at home on stage as it is in the studio. ‍

Built like a player’s instrument

The 32-note keybed brings velocity and aftertouch, the panel is largely knob-per-function, and, controversially, there’s no screen. That keeps you connected to the panel, though the deeper assignments and less obvious functions will have you cracking the manual now and then.

Review Overview

Verdict: A forward-looking Moog mono that earns the hype. It nails the foundation (weighty bass, expressive filter drive) and layers on modern sound-design tools, wavefolding, flexible FM/sync, and a genuinely useful probability sequencer without losing that immediate, playable Moog feel.

What we loved

• Reference-grade Moog tone with Res Bass that actually preserves the low end at high resonance.
• Feedback that’s musical, not mush, great pre-filter grit you can sculpt.
• Deep oscillator section: continuous waveshape + wavefolding, hard sync, FM, and an independently shapeable sub.
• Sequencer/arp with probability and per-step parameter moves = future-proof pattern writing. ‍
• Solid, road-ready build; velocity & aftertouch on the 32-key bed.

Trade-offs

• Screen-less workflow means a quick skim of the manual to find the deeper stuff.
• Not the cheapest mono in a crowded field; no onboard effects.

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Bottom line: Don’t buy Messenger only for Res Bass, buy it because it’s the rare Moog that invites you to be conservative or feral, and rewards both with character. If your sets or sessions lean on bass pressure with evolving movement, this is a modern classic in the making

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‍_{Words: Zvjezdana Lastre for Ibiza Live Radio}