Announced at SB21, the Mayer MD900 multi-timbral wavetable Synthesizer is now in production and ready for pre-order from retailers.
The Superbooth is a big event with over 150 exhibitors. It’s easy to forget to cover something interesting. That’s what happened to a lot of media people at the SB 21 with the new MD900.
A new impressive Synthesizer from the Austrian company Mayer EMI (electronic music instruments) that was hidden in one of the back rooms of the SB 21. There is good news: the MD900 desktop Synthesizer is in production and will be available soon. A reason to highlight this new multi-timbral synth again.
Mayer MD900 Production
The Mayer MD900 is in production, which is very good news. Also the the M800-R2 module is also ready. Horst Mayer, the developer behind this instrument says:
We are pleased that there is a great demand on our synths and we will do our best to bring out the MD900 and the M800-R2 as fast as possible. As a small company we are eager to work on it with high enthusiasm and passion. Due to the pandemic situation and the resulting hindrance to get electronic parts the situation is and still remains a challenging factor.
We are happy to say that the MD900 is now in production and the expected delivery to „ALEX4” is mid-February 2022. The delivery for the M800-R2 is expected to be at the beginning of May 2022.
MD900
The MD900 is a multi-timbral, polyphonic Synthesizer with a rich feature set. It has 16 voices that can be divided into 4 parts, each with its own effect chain. The engine is full in stereo and is huge. The core of the voice consists of two aliasing free oscillators that have two distinct modes: wavetable or algorithm oscillator.
Yes, the MD900 is a fully-featured wavetable synth with Serum wavetable file support, detune options and spectral morph algorithms for advance sonic manipulations. That’s not all. It’s also hosts an band-limited algorithm oscillator for more classic waveforms with different algorithms: VA-sweep, dual PWM, hard-sync saw, phase distortion sine… There is also a sample-based noise oscillators with custom sample support and different playback options.
All three oscillators are routed in a mixer section with cross-fade options.
Analog-Modeling Filters
Horst Mayer also packs a colorful range of analog-modeled filter mode in its new Synthesizer, each with 12dB and 24dB filter depth (LP, BP, HP, NS). Modulation side, it offers 3 LFOs and three envelopes that are controllable on the front panel and in the 24-slot modulation matrix. It has reverse polarity options and there are 38 modulation destinations and 24 modulation sources available.
There are effects per layer (A,B,C,D). You can choose from delay, chorus-flanger, EQ, compressor, reverb, and more. You can stack them and assign them in order. Many synthesizers would end here. But not with the MD900. A whole groovebox is hidden in the engine.
Drum Machine + Groovebox Like Clip Launcher
In addition to the actual synth engine, there is a complete drum instrument engine with 14 different instruments per kit using kits. Each sample (mono/stereo) offers pitch, panaorma, level, start/end points and fade out time controls. You can trigger them manually or with the drum grid sequencer that is basically a drum machine sequencer.
The MD900 also features a built-in 64-step arpeggiator that can classically arpeggiate your sounds or act as a step sequencer. Plus a clip launcher allows you to create complete arrangements (4 parts synths + drums) that can be performed with an Akai APC controller for example.
User Interface
A special highlight is the hands-on user interface on the MD900. In addition to a large touch display, it also has small displays in almost every section with which you get instant visual feedback of the parameters values. A costly feature in production but a very useful one.
Connection side, you have a stereo input, stereo output, headphone jack, expression pedal in, USB, and a full MIDI interface. Big plus: there are two USB-MIDI host with which you can easily connect your keyboard controller without detours. A rare feature on modern synths.
Availability
As you can see, it’s a true flagship Synthesizer. Glad to see the MD900 making it to dealers. It’s not cheap, but it comes from a one-man company from the EU, offers a lot and unique design.
Mayer MD900 is available now for pre-order for 3450€ and will be out very soon. You can pre-order it at Schneidersladen or other smaller shops.
More information here: Mayer
oh my, so much great synths…and so little money to spent.
This thing is crazy powerful. I would love to get my hands on one. It looks infinitely playable. Like a desert island synth.
Waldorf Iridium and M are half the price, this thing looks like scope creep IMHO, who needs a clip launcher in a synth. Wrong price, wrong features and from a company with no legacy
a clip launcher in a synth is phantastic. even mroe so if it has follow actions. its almost like having the ableton session view inside.
Yea this thing is a monster and that price is equally terrifying. If only I had thousands readily available to purchase one lol