Animoog Z

Name: Animoog Z
Author: Moog

by Moog · Synth · Anisotropic wavetable-style synth

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Animoog Z is a 16-voice polyphonic synth from Moog that moves through a 3D space of timbres on X, Y and Z axes.

It runs on Mac as AUv3 and standalone (no Windows) and is free to download, with a $29.99 in-app unlock for the full app.

Best for: Keys & Synths, Sound Design. Genres: Electronic & EDM, Ambient & Cinematic.

Keywords: polyphonic, MPE support, free, AUv3/iOS, sound design, freemium, evolving, pads, textures, wavetable, arpeggiator, cinematic, classic, creative, drones, modulation matrix, sample-based, simple, spectral, standalone app, thick.

What it does

Animoog Z is Moog's polyphonic synth, built on the Anisotropic Synth Engine (ASE). Instead of stacking oscillators, you move an orbit through a 3D cube of timbres, which Moog says invites you "to explore new concepts of multidimensional sound design."

ASE and the Wave Cube: an 8 x 16 grid of waveforms with an added Z axis; the sound crossfades between neighbouring waveforms as paths and orbits move through it on X, Y and Z.
Timbres: choose 8 timbres for up to 128 waveforms, from analog waves sampled from classic Moog oscillators to digital and spectral sources.
Timbre Editor: make your own timbres by importing a file or recording from the microphone (up to 1024 samples, about 23ms).
Voices and modulation: 16-voice polyphony, three DAHDSR envelopes (amp, filter and mod), three LFOs, a 10-lane modulation matrix and polyphonic modulation, with green markers showing what is being modulated.
Effects and performance: a 3-mode filter, delay with ping-pong, chorus, a bitcrush/overdrive "Thick" stage, an arpeggiator and a looper.
MPE and MIDI: support for MPE controllers and full MIDI implementation.

Version 1.3.4 (June 2025) added the Cybernetic Futures expansion and support for the latest devices. The download is free with limited features; the full app is an in-app purchase, with expansion packs sold separately (Celestial Dynamics is free).

Source: Moog product page

When to use it

Animoog Z is the pick for evolving, moving pads and textures played expressively, especially on an iPad or with an MPE controller. Compared with Pigments 7, Serum 2 or Vital, it has a single, distinctive engine rather than many oscillator types, and its sound comes from moving through timbres rather than building a patch from scratch. It is also far cheaper than Serum 2, but it is a narrower studio tool.

Best for: evolving pads, drones and textures, and expressive MPE playing.
Genres: ambient, cinematic and electronic.
Tip: reviewers suggest the iPad over the iPhone for playing, an MPE controller to bring back pressure expression, and working with paths and orbits rather than the filter.

What producers say

Reviewers and App Store users rate it highly for its creative, hands-on sound design, though some note the engine is close to the 2011 original. App Store users rate it 4.8 out of 5 from about 1,200 ratings.

MusicRadar (Rob Redman, 2022) gave it 4 stars, praising the intuitive interface and modulation, and said "Try the free version and you'll be hooked!"
Gearnews (Robin Vincent, 2021, iPhone first look) found the paths, orbits and Z axis absorbing and the presets strong, but felt the sound engine is much the same as the original Animoog's.
App Store users praise the 3D orbit approach and polyphonic modulation; some reported freezing on newer devices, reportedly fixed in version 1.3.1.
Criticisms: a fiddly small keyboard on iPhone, and a modern look with the filter less prominent than before.

Where to buy

App Store: Free (Free download; unlocking the full app is a $29.99 in-app purchase)

Tutorials and reviews

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