Dire Studio has introduced Mother Global Settings, a patch editor for the Moog Grandmother and Matriarch synthesizers for iPad and Mac.
Dire Studio’s Agnes Lorincz says that “This app is the best thing that can happen to a Matriarch or Grandmother user who takes his workflow seriously.”
The Mother Global Settings is an intuitive editor for Moog’s Grandmother and Matriarch synthesizers. Sporting a 500-series rack inspired control-per-function interface, it’s designed to make settings easily accessible, with two clicks/taps at maximum.
Actual values are instantly visible on the screen. Features include octave buttons to easily set and check keyboard transposition, as well as a sequence selector override for the Matriarch, letting you quickly switch to any sequence — not just adjacent ones.
Other features include separate items for oscillator frequency ranges on the Matriarch, fine grained control over MIDI output and local control, extra glide toggle and arp/seq gate length settings managed by the app and a panic button, in case the synth goes rebel.
Direct USB connection offers the fastest operation and complete auto-detection, and 5-pin MIDI support lets you integrate the app into complex studio setups.
Mother Global Settings is available now for €49.99 / $49.99, through the end of Sept 2025 (normally €79.99 / $79.99).
Conductive Labs has launched a Kickstarter project to fund production of the Terrain Synth – an original synth design featuring wave terrain oscillators.
They say that the Terrain Synth is the first commercially-available, full-featured hardware polyphonic multi-timbral synthesizer based on terrain synthesis.
Here’s what they have to say about it:
“Terrain synthesis was first conceived in 1978 by synthesist Richard Gold, but it took the compute power of 2025 to bring this intensive process to an affordable synthesizer.
So what is “terrain synthesis” In short, traveling along a circular path on a bumpy terrain creates a waveform. The waveform changes by moving or varying the path shape. By combining paths and terrains there are an infinite number of possible waveforms. Modulating those paths and terrains gives you an unlimited variety of sounds.
The terrains come in many flavors… the built-in mathematically generated ones can be wildly morphed in real time. For a totally custom sound you can create your own terrains. Graphic, photographic, topographic and even AI generated terrains can be imported as JPG & PNG image files. The Terrain Synth can even import old school WAV wavetables.
From some simple terrain/path combinations you can easily create classic analog style waveforms (sqr, tri, sine, saw, etc.) too!
In addition to the unique oscillators the Terrain Synth has a zillion LFOs and envelopes, nearly every parameter has its own. If you want to modulate the path size, twist the LFO knobs and make it happen, no need for a deep modulation matrix. Each parameter also has 4 assignable expressive modulator slots for mod-wheel, velocity, poly aftertouch, etc.. 12 mappable CCs, 3 pedals, 6 CV/Gates and so on. This makes it easy for you to bring out the unique sounds and richness this architecture provides, such as rhythmic effects and long evolving pads and drones.
Despite the focus on the oscillator and modulators, the filter section has 8 types of morphable filters, from Ladder to Comb to Formant. These create the classic and modern sweeps and quacks you’re expecting. Several onboard effects are included too: Delay, Ping-Pong Delay, Reverb, Shimmer Reverb, Chorus, Flanger, Phaser, Stereo Phaser, Overdrive and Decimator.
Terrain synthesis is highly visual in nature so we chose a large 7-inch IPS display for sonic visualization. You can customize the color palette, the visualization perspective and the 3D angles. This enables you to easily inspect the modulations on the path and terrain and the resulting waveform.
The inside is just as important to us as the outside… our circuit design and layout were all developed by an expert audio engineer with many years of experience. His extreme devotion to audio purity and performance makes this synth sound amazing”
Features:
Unique terrain oscillators
32 note polyphony (8 per timbre)
Four timbres (layers) that can be split or stacked
Two morphable terrains per voice
Up to 7x unison for each voice
Two additional sub-oscillators for each voice
White, Pink, Blue and Brown noise
Oscillator sync, Phase distortion, Mirroring and Windowing
17 math-based terrains with infinite resolution
Dozens of image-based terrains
User loadable image & wavetable terrains (.jpg and .png, .wav)
18 morphable paths with infinite resolution
Dedicated mixer for timbre layers
LFO, Envelope and Expressive-mapper per parameter
On board effects: Delay, Ping-Pong Delay, Reverb, Shimmer Reverb, Chorus, Flanger, Phaser, Stereo Phaser, Overdrive and Decimator
Dedicated sequencer, arpeggiator and audition buttons
Hundreds of sortable presets and onboard preset librarian
36 quick access patch favorites (6×6)
Multi level patches, Init, Copy & Paste
Infinite Encoders – mixer, menu, modulation and user modules
A 7-inch IPS display for full color sonic visualization
Selectable terrain view angles and color schemes
MIDI-I/O via 5-Pin DIN, USB Host, and USB Device ports
6x CV/Gates and 3x expression pedals.
Left/Right balanced stereo and headphone (w/ vol control)
Desktop / 4U rack configurations
The Terrain Synth is available to pre-order via a Kickstarter project, priced at $949. The estimated street price is planned to be $1199. The project has already met its funding goal.
*Note: Crowdfunded projects can involve risks, which are documented at the project site.
