The Moog Sirin is a limited edition variation of the compact Moog Minitaur Analogue Synthesizer. It was introduced at NAMM 2019 and went on sale after the conference. While it has the same form factor, it features a vibrant retro-styled color scheme, and under the hood, it has a greater frequency range. Only 2500 units of this unit were initially pencilled in for manufacture, although my unit is actually closer to the 3000 mark. While I have heard reports that there is a slight loss in the bass end of the oscillator compared to the Minitaur, the Sirin clearly has the edge in being able to cut strong monophonic leads as well as being able to handle the bass-lines. I found the bass-end perfectly suited to purpose.
Applications
Desktop Module
The Sirin with its compact form is very much designed to be at home within a DAW based environment and after registering, a fully featured editor/librarian host application is available for integrating the unit into a DAW environment.
The editor provides access to a range of extra functions which are not available directly via the panel.
MIDI Capabilities
I tried to fit the Sirin into my DAWless rig. My rig is based around a Novation Circuit, which I currently have controlling a Moog Subsequent 37CV and a Moog DFAM. Although I could get the device to receive MIDI note information from the Circuit, one problem I had was that the Circuit was sending CC messages which interfered with the modulation parameters on the Sirin, which meant I got an occasionally borked sound. This was especially noticeable when pressing the octave buttons on the Circuit. This could very well be a Circuit issue rather than a Sirin issue, and it certainly sounds like something that could be resolved, but it didn’t work out of the box.
Control Voltage Capabilities
Here is where the Sirin comes into its own. The Moog website features a demo video showing how you can use a Moog CP-251 control voltage processor to drive a Moog Minitaur without the use of a keyboard or computer to drive note information. I had to try this out.
At first, I couldn’t quite follow the video in terms of deducing what connections were being made, but after some experimentation, I started to get some results.
The key was to use one of the LFO wave-forms on the CP-251 to drive the Gate input on the Sirin. You could then control the pitch via the Pitch CV input using either another control voltage, or via an expression pedal, such as a Moog EP-3.
Summary
The Sirin may have hit the end of its production run, but there are certainly a few lurking around in the second hand market. Being honest, I was a little unsure about succumbing to purchase a unit at $599 when there were many other possibilities at that price point that seemed to offer more than this odd device. However, it plays incredibly well with Moogerfooger units, and when twinned with a CP-251, effectively gives you a modular synthesizer in table-top form, which is incredibly flexible. It also has the huge advantage of being incredibly portable. For an item I can easily carry in a small bag or case, it delivers that classic Moog punch, whilst being convenient to travel with. I found it ironic that at the time the Sirin was released, the Moogerfooger range had already been discontinued, even though they were made for each other. It seems pretty clear that this particular synthesis ecosystem has been killed to clear the way for the new generation of Eurorack compatible units, such as the DFAM and the Mother 32. I can see the Sirin and the Moogerfoogers as being highly sought after units in the future, as building weird and wonderful patches using these characterful retro-styled Moog units, delivers a quality sound and a whole load of fun.
robomuso 