MFB MEGAZWERG - are the extra bells & whistles worth it?

[Aaron2]

OK, I'm contemplating buying one of two "semi-modular" monosynths, both made by MFB. One is the Microzwerg. It's got two VCOs and two LFOs and costs about $430 at modularsquare.com (MFB is sold out, so I can't buy directly from them). Then there's the Megazwerg. It's got just one VCO and one LFO, but it also has a digital delay and a simple, but seemingly useful, four-step sequencer built right in. It also has portamento, too, which the Micro doesn't have. It costs about $569 from the manufacturer. I can't decide which to buy.

Here are links to the manufacturer's website:

Micro: http://www.mfberlin.de/Produkte/Musikel ... werge.html
Mega: http://www.mfberlin.de/Produkte/Musikel ... werge.html

[If you're not seeing the description in English, click the "English" link near the top of the web page.]

On the one hand, I like the sonic possibilities offered by the two-VCO, two-LFO Micro, but I'm really digging the built-in delay and sequencer in the Mega. But then I'm thinking, "well, if I buy the Mega, I'll still end up buying a more complex sequencer analog anyway, and you can get digital delay using a DAW, so what's the point?"

Any opinions on which is the better deal from a strictly bang-for-your-buck perspective? If you have other products in mind at a similar price point, feel free to suggest those, too.

Thanks!

Aaron

[meatballfulton]

The Megazwerg is intended as an expander to the Kraftzwerg which has 3 VCOs and a LPF. The Mega adds a multimode filter, glide processors, attenuators,inverters, multiples and mod sequencer all of which are lacking in the Kraftzwerg and super useful in a modular.

I'm not sure I'd be interested in using the Megazwerg as a standalone device, the VCO is limited (no octave ranging for example).

[Bitexion]

I'd say the megazwerg is more like a supplement to the micro. Adds another VCO and a simple step sequencer.

[Solderman]

I'm actually interested in the Megazwerg to supplement my Kraftzwerg, but I'd definitely wait for a lower price. I can see most of the modules being useful, but what do you do with a bare-bones four step sequencer? I didn't even go for the Urzwerg because it doesn't tie steps. I've never found much use for looping envelopes either, especially when you have CV control for rate of LFO, like in the Kraftzwerg. The VCO(which hopefully is already 1 V/Oct tracked) seems more useful as a modulation source or Y input for the ringmod.

I'm a little dubious about quality though. The Kraftzwerg filter is pretty noisy when used for external signals and its VCA out is fussy about cable grounding. I also wonder if the portamento is properly buffered, as I've used the Moog CP-251 for this in the past and it's not only not buffered, but clips at 6V. Hopefully the Megazwerg operates between up to 8 and 10V for all modules.

Aaron2, unless you just gotta have the multi-mode filter, I'd hunt for a used Kraftzwerg. Delays are cheap if you know where to look and the Kraft has midi, so you don't need a sequencer.

[Bitexion]

Yeah, an expensive sequencer is really no point when your synth has MIDI in.

[Aaron2]

Thanks for the responses, everyone. To be honest, I didn't read (or didn't understand) the "fine print" on MFB's web page. I didn't realize that the Mega was really more of an add-on for the Kraft, and not necessarily meant to be a stand-alone synth. I guess that's why some of its features are rather limited.

So the hand-wringing continues, I guess. Looks like the Micro might be the one for me. To me, the Micro is just a cheaper Doepfer Dark Energy -- better really, since the Micro has two oscillators to the DE's one. I don't think I can go wrong.

Cheers,

Aaron