Moog Moogerfooger Effects Plugins Review: Sonic Candies!

Moog Moogerfooger Effect Plugins

• Sound
• Features
• Ease Of Use

4.5

Moog Moogerfooger Effects Plug-ins Review

The Moog Moogerfooger Effects Plug-ins is an inspiring and extremely musical collection of audio effects plugins that capture the sonic magic of the iconic Moog Moogerfooger hardware effects units, making them more suitable for DAW usage with modern workflows

PROS

• It’s like sonic candies, they always sound yummy!
• Clever virtual inter-connectivity options
• Super easy to use

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CONS

• The interface is not resizable

The Moog Moogerfooger Effect Plugins are a digital recreation of the analog Moogerfooger effects pedals that were first introduced starting from the mid-1990s and discontinued in 2018. These plugins offer the unique and rich analog vibe that the original pedals are known for, but with the added convenience and flexibility of digital processing (at a fraction of the price, considering the crazy current rates in the second-hand market!). In this review, we’ll dive into the features, sound quality, and overall performance of the Moogerfooger plugin bundle.

This is the list and a short description of Moogerfooger effects plug-ins:

• MF-101S Lowpass Filter
  The classic Moog ladder filter with an envelope follower for dynamic control
• MF-102S Ring Modulator
  A wide-range carrier oscillator paired with an LFO for effects from soft tremolo through far-out clangorous ring modulation tones
• MF-103S 12-Stage Phaser
  A descendant of the vibrant 1970s rack-mounted Moog phaser with an on-board LFO
• MF-104S Analog Delay
  A rich, full-bodied delay and modulation circuit that has remained highly sought after to this day
• MF-105S MuRF
  A groundbreaking effect combining a resonant filter bank with a pattern generator and skewing envelope for vibrant animation of an incoming sound
• MF-107S FreqBox
  A box of gnarly synced VCO sounds with envelope and FM modulation
• MF-108S Cluster Flux
  A flexible processor that can modulate between chorus, flanging, and vibrato
• MF-109S Saturator
  A powerful saturation tool based on the classic Moogerfooger input drive stage that adds warmth, distortion, and compression to any sound

Interface and Features

The Moogerfooger plugin bundle offers a user-friendly, skeuomorphic interface that echoes the physical design of the original hardware units. Each effect is presented as a separate plugin, providing dedicated controls for easy manipulation and experimentation. Surprisingly enough for a 2023 product, the interface of these plugins is not resizable. Quite annoying, if it wasn’t for the accessibility zoom shortcut (ctrl-scroll) provided by Mac OS (I assume Windows has something similar). Let’s hope for a future update.

On a positive note, I was instead pleasantly surprised to see how Moog implemented/reimagined the CV connectivity options found in the original hardware pedals. The developers came up with a pretty unique and well-thought-out design (see video below).

A click on the upper part of the interface (or on the CV text button) opens the dedicated section, where users can create virtual connections between opened instances of the Moogerfooger plugins (i.e. you can do basic things such as modulating the cutoff of the MF-101 filter with the LFO of the MF-103 phaser… or going completely bonkers, if you are a modulation wh**e!).
It’s hard to put into words how clever and powerful this approach is. You just have to try it, it really opens up a world of possibilities.

Also, within the same dropdown menu, you get extra options for DAW-related sidechain effects (see the video below).

Moog didn’t stop there: clicking on the gear icon in the upper section of the interface, you will get a number of different options for each plugin. In the resulting panel, you can change the way the effect behaves (i.e. you can modify the tonal response of the delay between legacy and modern, the LFO polarity, and much more).

Sound Quality

When it comes to sound quality, the Moog Moogerfooger Effect Plug-ins truly shine. Moog’s commitment to preserving the character of the original units is evident in every effect, as the plugins recreate the rich harmonic content and organic tonal colorations that made the original Moogerfooger so iconic.

It’s like the Moog devs took what they thought was important from the characteristics of the hardware and designed new effects that are more suitable for DAW usage with modern workflows.

That said, just don’t expect an exact replica of the pedals. It would probably take a lifetime for Moog developers to model EVERY single component, and if you are lucky enough to have some of these effects side by side with their original counterparts, you WILL notice some differences.

The delay, for instance, despite sounding very good is not as “juicy” as the original. Feedback and drive/output just behave differently (UPDATE: as I was double-checking the review, I noticed I had missed the 1.02 update change log – the plugin has now a Legacy, darker, feedback option which brings it closer to the original pedal).

At the same time, these differences will probably make the plugin much easier to blend with a wider range of source materials in a modern-sounding production. A great trade-off, if you ask me.

Does this change my opinion of the bundle? Not really. To me, it’s absolutely a win for Moog and a win for us users. The plugins definitely capture the essence of the pedals, and most importantly, they are extremely MUSICAL tools. I want to point this out, as you will find plenty of reviews that rather indulge in the technical aspects, much better than I could ever do.

I recently put these plugins through their pace while working on a (still unreleased) album I was producing for an electronic singer-songwriter. Whether using them on beats, synth sequences, keys, or soundscapes, the plugins were always able to give me sounds and textures that were both highly usable and easy to fit in a mix.

In my experience, Moog Moogerfooger Effect Plug-ins capture the subtle nuances and imperfections that make certain analog gear so captivating, and ultimately offer me the inspiration I needed for those tracks (with the added convenience of software). What else could I wish for?

By the way, last year I was kinda forced to sell my MF-105 MIDI MuRF pedal. A decision I’ve been regretting for a while. Well, until I got these plugins, that is. Don’t get me wrong, I still love the tactile experience the original pedals provide but frankly, I would go hardware only if I had to perform certain kinds of extremely organic live sets (and even in that case, I would first try with a good mix of MIDI controllers paired to these plugins).

Conclusion

The Moog Moogerfooger plugin bundle is one of my favorite releases of the past six months or so, and a remarkable addition to any producer’s arsenal. It captures the sonic magic of Moog’s iconic analog effects units, allowing users to infuse their tracks with character, warmth, and nostalgia. From pulsating sequences and vintage-sounding delays to experimental textures, the Moogerfooger plugins offer endless possibilities for sonic exploration, an easy workflow, and last but not least, the best bang for the buck.

They’re currently on sale for approx. $149 + tax from Moog or PluginBoutique, a super-bargain if you ask me. You can even buy them separately, but given the price of the bundle, I would recommend getting them all at once!