Arturia Memory V – Thanks for the Memorymoog
5,0 / 5,0 | 
Arturia’s Memory V seeks to bring back one of the most loved and legendary polysynths of all time. Can this software recreation do its hardware forebear justice?
The Moog Memorymoog remains an enduring masterpiece from the original era of Moog Music Inc. back in the days when it was based out of Walden Avenue, Buffalo, NY. Introduced just as the synthesizer world was about to undergo its digital revolution, it endured for a few years before the company finally declared bankruptcy two years later.
The Moog Memorymoog
It was the first properly polyphonic Moog synth that featured per-voice oscillators and filters (the Polymoog used divide-down technology) and was to be the final flagship of that incarnation of the famous brand. That it lasted as long as it did in a world smitten with all things digital stands as a testament to its powerful sound.
In the face of increasing competition from newer U.S. brands such as Sequential Circuits and Oberheim, and the dominance of the Japanese brands of Roland, Yamaha and KORG, the Memorymoog did pretty well, but overall, it lost the day to sleeker, more affordable synths. The Memorymoog’s legacy lives on, not least in the visually similar Moog One, and its sonic architecture has been mimicked on numerous occasions.
In later years, Lintronics teamed up with Bob’s Big Briar company to produce the Lintronics Advanced Memorymoog, most commonly referred to as the LAMM upgrade. This extensive rebuild of both hardware and software sorted out numerous issues with the original, as well as adding other useful features.
Arturia Memory V
Now Arturia have set about bringing this legend back to life for the 21st century in the form of Memory V. As you would expect, Arturia have mostly recreated the original in every way, along with adding numerous modern-day features to give us a compelling and powerful instrument.
Often billed as “Six Minimoogs in a Box”, the original actually used Curtis. 3340 oscillators, which were passed through a classic Moog ladder filter. Arturia claim to have faithfully modelled both of these, along with the mixer and VCAs. Polyphony has also risen, doubling the hardware from 6 to 12.
When it comes to performance, Arturia have built in a powerful multi-arpeggiator, accessed via the ‘Advanced’ button. This powerful and inspiring tool allows you to configure multiple arpeggios with the ability to define patterns, rhythms, notes and scales.
Beyond the Original
There are, as you’d expect, a ton of effects and modulation options, and the whole thing is MPE-ready, so for those of us with MPE-capable controllers, Memory V takes the classic Memorymoog into the realms of amazing expression.
The four macros give users the ability to configure their own selection of parameters for easy access. Just above and to the left of the keyboard is a set of dispersion controls, each designed to add some drift and randomness to various aspects of the synth to give you a more authentic sound.
As usual, Memory V features Arturia’s excellent patch browser, pre-populated with both a brand new factory set of sounds as well as a vintage factory set that replicates the original’s presets. Memory V also includes Arturia Controller Integration and NKS compatibility, along with MTS-ESP for microtonal work.
Does Memory V Cut the Mustard?
The original Memorymoog was always known for being big, brash, powerful yet always classically Moog. Arturia seem to have done that justice, whilst bringing that sound back along with all the bells and whistles one would expect of a present-day plugin.
And it’s those additions that make Memory V really shine, in my opinion. The inclusion of MPE, the hugely flexible arpeggiator and the wealth of modulation possibilities takes that classic, unmistakable sound and breathes new life into it. Memory V is a hugely flexible synth that can cover a lot of ground. It’s also infinitely more reliable than the original hardware!
More Information
Arturia Memory V is available now for €149.00, with Arturia offering discounts to existing customers. Log in to your Arturia account for more information about your personal offer.
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