I'm considering purchasing a Moog Subsequent 37.
Or maybe the Subsequent 25. I think the main diffrence is that this one does nto have the arpeggiator / sequencer.
The only thing that holds me back a bit is that it's only 2-note paraphonic. If it was at least 5-note paraphonic like the Prophet 5 it would have been a bit nicer. But still the synth is absolutely great.
Anyway. What's yoru thoughts on thsi synth ?
Moog Subsequent 37 / 25
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- KVRian
- Topic Starter
- 1487 posts since 14 Jul, 2013 from Sweden
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AdvancedFollower AdvancedFollower https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=418780
- KVRian
- 1234 posts since 8 May, 2018 from Sweden
The Prophet 5 is polyphonic, not paraphonic...
IMO, if you want a polysynth, buy a polysynth, and use your monosynths for mono stuff (bass, leads, arpeggios, sequences...) rather than trying to wrangle polyphony out of them. Lots of decent analog polysynths in that price range now, like the Minilogue xd, Prologue, DeepMind, Rev2, Peak, MFB Synth Pro etc.
IMO, if you want a polysynth, buy a polysynth, and use your monosynths for mono stuff (bass, leads, arpeggios, sequences...) rather than trying to wrangle polyphony out of them. Lots of decent analog polysynths in that price range now, like the Minilogue xd, Prologue, DeepMind, Rev2, Peak, MFB Synth Pro etc.
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- KVRAF
- 1585 posts since 13 Nov, 2005 from St. Paul
I have been using my Subsequent 37 pretty much every day for about a year, and find it to be a very deep, great sounding, and well designed instrument. The reason for buying hardware, for me, has always been about playing live and workflow, so that's my main perspective.
The immediacy of the layout is fantastic. There's a lot on the panel, generally little menu diving (unless you want that). Most of the time I just start in panel mode (every knob position is what it is) and then save when I find something useful for a particular tune. The keyboards on the sub were apparently not great, but on the subsequent keys were upgraded and I find it very playable. Wheels, knobs, and buttons all feel solid. It feels like an instrument.
The Subsequent is obviously known for the ladder filter, it's a Moog. The ability to switch between 6, 12, 18, and 24 DB filter slopes shouldn't be underestimated--it's really four very distinct filters. The 6db is raw as hell, very grungy, fits anywhere an overdriven guitar would. The 12db is very usable for keeping some of the buzz from the oscillators and for slower really detailed filter sweeps, 18db is like a slightly grittier 18db, and I assume you know what the 24db sounds like. Filter feedback and analogue distortion are both very useful in practice.
The LFO and envelopes have a ton of more modern features that a pure old school recreation won't have. The tempo sync looping envelopes (one filter/utility and one vca) are amazingly useful. Tweaking those in real time as a sequence or arp is running opens up real time rhythmic possibilities that would generally take some fiddling inside a DAW. The LFOs can also modulate the speed of one another or the envelopes, which again with tempo sync gives a lot of real time tweakability. LFO can point to anything on the panel, which can be done pretty much like midi learn.
Drawbacks: I don't generally use presets, it's more fun to roll your own with this synth. It's good that I like doing that, because the ones that come with the Subsequent aren't very useful. The sequencer is very powerful, but hard to get to grips with at first. I prefer using the software editor for sequencing, but at that point, why not just use the DAW? I'm not saying the sequencer is bad, it's just a little less immediate than the rest of the synth. There are a few parameters that do require using the menus, so it's not quite one knob per function.
The immediacy of the layout is fantastic. There's a lot on the panel, generally little menu diving (unless you want that). Most of the time I just start in panel mode (every knob position is what it is) and then save when I find something useful for a particular tune. The keyboards on the sub were apparently not great, but on the subsequent keys were upgraded and I find it very playable. Wheels, knobs, and buttons all feel solid. It feels like an instrument.
The Subsequent is obviously known for the ladder filter, it's a Moog. The ability to switch between 6, 12, 18, and 24 DB filter slopes shouldn't be underestimated--it's really four very distinct filters. The 6db is raw as hell, very grungy, fits anywhere an overdriven guitar would. The 12db is very usable for keeping some of the buzz from the oscillators and for slower really detailed filter sweeps, 18db is like a slightly grittier 18db, and I assume you know what the 24db sounds like. Filter feedback and analogue distortion are both very useful in practice.
The LFO and envelopes have a ton of more modern features that a pure old school recreation won't have. The tempo sync looping envelopes (one filter/utility and one vca) are amazingly useful. Tweaking those in real time as a sequence or arp is running opens up real time rhythmic possibilities that would generally take some fiddling inside a DAW. The LFOs can also modulate the speed of one another or the envelopes, which again with tempo sync gives a lot of real time tweakability. LFO can point to anything on the panel, which can be done pretty much like midi learn.
Drawbacks: I don't generally use presets, it's more fun to roll your own with this synth. It's good that I like doing that, because the ones that come with the Subsequent aren't very useful. The sequencer is very powerful, but hard to get to grips with at first. I prefer using the software editor for sequencing, but at that point, why not just use the DAW? I'm not saying the sequencer is bad, it's just a little less immediate than the rest of the synth. There are a few parameters that do require using the menus, so it's not quite one knob per function.
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- KVRian
- Topic Starter
- 1487 posts since 14 Jul, 2013 from Sweden
Big thanks for that great review ! 
The LED men is of no good for me. Since I'm visually impaired. The white background makes it impossible for me to see anything on that screen.
Apart from managing presets, which I can do with the software editor, I got it as the only other us eI'd have for the screen is when using the sequencer.
So what I'm wondering is - if the sequencer is the main difference between the Subsequent 37 and 25 maybe I should grab the Subsequent 25 and spend the rest of the money on something else ?
Funnily, I've not seen what wave forms are on the 2 oscilator. Just that the sub osc is a triangle. And, if I remember correctly, there's also a noise generator onboard.
A small question: I couldnt' spot a transpose knob/feature. But I assuem there must be one somewhere on the panel. How many octaves up/down does it go ?
Btw, does the tuning change, if evne slightly, when the machine gets warm ?
Cheers !
The LED men is of no good for me. Since I'm visually impaired. The white background makes it impossible for me to see anything on that screen.
Apart from managing presets, which I can do with the software editor, I got it as the only other us eI'd have for the screen is when using the sequencer.
So what I'm wondering is - if the sequencer is the main difference between the Subsequent 37 and 25 maybe I should grab the Subsequent 25 and spend the rest of the money on something else ?
Funnily, I've not seen what wave forms are on the 2 oscilator. Just that the sub osc is a triangle. And, if I remember correctly, there's also a noise generator onboard.
A small question: I couldnt' spot a transpose knob/feature. But I assuem there must be one somewhere on the panel. How many octaves up/down does it go ?
Btw, does the tuning change, if evne slightly, when the machine gets warm ?
Cheers !
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- KVRian
- Topic Starter
- 1487 posts since 14 Jul, 2013 from Sweden
Bought it ! Actually my wife bought it for me on my 50th birthday 
It was delivered two days ago. Now reading the manual. Hm...looks like I can't play with it in the bath...
It was delivered two days ago. Now reading the manual. Hm...looks like I can't play with it in the bath...-
thecontrolcentre thecontrolcentre https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=76240 - KVRAF
- 35177 posts since 27 Jul, 2005 from the wilds of wanny
Which one did you get?
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- KVRian
- Topic Starter
- 1487 posts since 14 Jul, 2013 from Sweden
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thecontrolcentre thecontrolcentre https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=76240
- KVRAF
- 35177 posts since 27 Jul, 2005 from the wilds of wanny
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- KVRian
- Topic Starter
- 1487 posts since 14 Jul, 2013 from Sweden
Cool ! I got it as the Sub 37 and the Subsequent 37 is pretty much the same thing. I think the differences lays in the CV/Gate. And, well, the look. But that's pretty much it I think
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- KVRist
- 241 posts since 20 Feb, 2021
Hello. I have Subsequent 37. Great machine! And I would go to 37 keys. The fact that it is not polyphonic does not make it worse ... It will perfectly cope with almost any task, since it has in its arsenal all possible controls with an excellent modulation matrix. And undoubtedly the Moog growl will raise the sound to heaven))
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- KVRAF
- 2544 posts since 20 Apr, 2005
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- KVRAF
- 1574 posts since 19 May, 2011 from North Carolina
What's not obvious from a cursory look at the Sub /Subsequent 37s is how powerful those two Mod panels on the left are - they look like two LFOs (and they do or course support the LFOs), but they're so much more. Once you get into the controller menu, it's insanse the modulation capabilities.
Also, there's an enormous amount of sound shaping in the way the OSC waveforms can be shaped because they are morphable, and of course all that are mod destinations.
I just made a set of hundreds of drum and one-shot samples for my Digitakt using only the Subsequent 37, and once I got rolling I couldn't believe what I could do.
Also, there's an enormous amount of sound shaping in the way the OSC waveforms can be shaped because they are morphable, and of course all that are mod destinations.
I just made a set of hundreds of drum and one-shot samples for my Digitakt using only the Subsequent 37, and once I got rolling I couldn't believe what I could do.
