Moog Mariana

Looking for absorbent synth bass sounds? Moog's new software synth bass plumbs new trench-like depths, Roland Schmidt submerges...

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Whether you know it or not, it's a pretty safe bet to assume that you'll have heard a Moog synth playing a bass sound somewhere on a recording at some stage in your listening life. From modulars to Sub Phatty, via the Minimoog and the legendary Taurus bass pedals, it's clear Moog have synth-bass form.

Moog's latest release stays in the software domain, while also encouraging us to stay in a bass register. Mariana is capable of providing that legendary Moog sound at a sensible price, but we're intrigued to know how it differs from its previous softsynth outings 20,000 leagues...

At first sight, the control panel is unmistakably Moog; the pots glisten, appearing three-dimensional on a flat screen. It's also uncluttered, which is largely because the synth's panel is laid out across five pages. These pages break down sensibly, forming two synth layers.