Dave Smith Instruments Mopho

Software version 1.3
The best presets I've experienced on a synth so far. Really powerful and you can take them to the edge of the galaxy and back.
Editing is easy, just twiddle the knobs to see how everything responds and respond it does.
The manual is enough as previous experience I think is assumed with analogue synthesis.
This is a complex piece of kit but is also easy to use.

It's mono. All the features you need.

You wouldn't be buying this if you wanted realistic instruments however it is realistic in the sense that it is proper synth. In my opinion a synth is as much a musical instrument as an acoustic guitar. Both are important and each can sound beautiful.
The unit reacts very well, haven't tried the editor yet but have downloaded it and it looks incredibly user friendly.
Hook it up to a keyboard and you'll find the velocity and aftertouch add an extra dimension.

Very dependable and easily usable at gigs as it can sit upon a keyboard easily.

Not needed to so far.

I'll never part with it because the possibilities are endless as long as the ideas keep coming.
It's my second piece of analogue equipment, I have a JX 3P which is OK but getting old.
The other stuff are VA's.
It's a great tool and really gives a depth & richness to the sound.

Using the free version of the editor - its totally necessary for getting into the guts of the machine, but the 4 assignable knobs certainly adds to its flexibility. Theres been some complaints in reviews about the decay / release knob being linked to all the envelopes, but personally I find that as far as expressiveness thats actually a perk, and the only real option when youre looking at a tiny interface like this. if you need a separate control you can always assign one anyway.
Presets are good, particularly the ones that utilize the feedback loop, but really they only hint at the capabilities of this little guy. The rhythmic sequences are brilliant. its like a little one machine minimal techno track. phat as hell and easily done.

the features are the sound. dont look for much interface wise and certainly dont expect to be able to be resting any cinder blocks on it, but its as good as it needs to be physically. it looks great in my opinion and the ext in / feedback loop (look it up if you dont know about it) is a bit of a sleeper hit - its a great little utility and it makes some gnarly sounds.

again - if you dont use the editor, you really dont know what you've got to work with. its pretty necessary from my point of view, though once youve got a set of sounds configured how you like you can take it with you with no worries

One big phat bastard sound wise. Don't underestimate it because of the price tag. personally i prefer it to the big brother the prophet which ive admittedly only had a few times to work with, but yeah, think sh101 times a million.

Would gig with it for sure, and have. Studio wise the physical unit is great - the editor is a little buggy but its free so im not going to yip about that too much. Theres a pro editor which im probably going to grab in a bit.

Never needed it!

TOTALLY worth the tag new, and I would deffo replace it. Its a monster for the price tag and Ive used it on a lot of tracks already. I really don't know how popular it will be per se as unless you know your way around a synth (and use the software editor) your results using the presets as a starting point are going to be fairly typical sounding, at least in comparison to what you'll be able to pull off with a but more programming.

i wouldnt necessarily suggest it as a "first synth" if the price tag were 1000 or more, but at sub 400, its a great option for someone who has never owned a proper analog before. If you have some old finicky beasts, this could be a replacement for sure, and even if not, its a great addition to the studio.

I had the first generation. initially easy to use, but editing is a pain in the rump. Tedious. The editor software does help, but that was clunky and didn't seem to work so well ether.

It's mono obviously. No effects.

OK, even though I sent mine back, I have to admit the sound was KILLER! Silky smooth to earth rumbling bass. It really does sound fantastic!

Here's my biggest gripe with DSI. STOP CUTTING CORNERS ON QUALITY!!!! I owned a Prophet 08 and a Mopho, and they both went back after a few weeks. Cheap knobs, thin plastic screens that you could put your finger through if you wanted to! What gives? Don't know about other folks, but I am willing to pay a little more for quality construction. The paint job on my Mopho actually had little bits of hair or what not dried on and painted into the metal. Like some guy just hit it with spray paint in his garage. There is a consistent "Home made" feeling to DSI gear. Some people may like it. Not me. Moog is also a small "grass roots" type business. But there gear is built to last and looks very pro and high end. Which is one reason I still own my Voyager and Little Phatty. Sorry Dave. I LOVE the sound of your gear, but the quality is a let down every time.

Very good. They got back to me promptly and answered my questions.

Great sound. Cheap quality.

This synth is great. It has 4 dedicated knobs assigned to cutoff, resonance, attack and decay/release. There are also another 4 knobs which are user assignable. The assignments are saved per patch so its great for live tweaking.

When your actually creating patches though the interface can be a little bid tedious, but its great and you have A LOT of control. But for those not really into deep synthesis, its easy enough to just find the simple things and tweak them to create great sounds.

The software patch editor is really easy to use and gives you full on visual control over all the parameters. It is also easier to create sequences in the software editor, although its easy enough on the actual synth.

There are two oscillators and the synth is monophonic. Each oscillator can be tuned independently.

There are two sub-octave generators (one per oscillator). Sub octave one is 1 octave down, sub octave 2 is 2 octaves down. You can mix in the level of each independently (THIS MAKES IT UBER PHAT!)

There are no built in effects. But it sounds great without them!

The synth responds to pitch bend, mod wheel and after touch. (Some presets have aftertouch set up as the modulation trigger)

It has a built in analogue style step sequencer with 16 steps. You can have 4 sequences at once (ie one for osc 1 pitch, one for osc 2 pitch, one for cutoff, and one for sub osc level - or whatever you want!)

The arpeggiator is just a great simple arpeggiator with up, down, up-down and random settings.

The sounds this little bundle of joy can produce are incredible. Searing leads, monstrous basses. Its also really good at ambient, gentle leads.

It will fit well into any electronic music set up, and is even a great synth for a non electronic band wishing to expand their sound. The presets are very workable for those without synthesis knowledge.

The velocity and aftertouch sensitivity are amazing at conveying expression. Aftertouch assigned to a light vibrato is really great for expressive playing, lean in harder and make the note sing out!

It is incredibly reliable. A great, stable little workhouse. Its a great synth for gigging because it has a nice rigid case and it responds brilliantly to everything you tell it today.

I have never dealt with customer support at DSI, never had to! When i had a query about international plug adapters i found the info straight away on their FAQ page!

The plugs are actually probably relevant here. The transformer for the plug is a wall wart, with interchangeable pins so international customers should have no worries!

Everything i have seen about customer support with DSI has been great, most people get replies from Dave himself and he always seems to sort out their problems straight away. ie sending out replacement knobs and whatnot

If it were lost or stolen, i would buy it again. It has a tiny price tag, for a massive sound!

I have been into synthesis for only about a year now. This is my second analogue synth (first being an sh-101 given as a gift, which unfortunately no longer works.) so at the moment it is my only working analogue. I have been using high quality soft synths and have regular access to a Korg Triton Extreme, and to be honest. i prefer my mopho! theres something so warm and touching with analogue.



If i could wish for it to have a single improvement, it would be to make it into a bigger synth. Id have to say keep the little module, but a keyboard version with knobs for everything would just be INCREDIBLE!


It really helps me to make music over soft synths because i create a sound i like, record the part and then i have that sound and i'll work with it in the song. Whereas with soft synths i'm so tempted to keep tweaking afterward that i lose sight of my original intention.

for those familiar with the dsi evolver, the mopho will be quite familiar. for those new to the machine, the learning curve is quite a breeze.
marketed as a chopped down prophet, the mopho is a two oscillator monophonic synth in the size of three cigarette packs laid side by side. out of the box it is very easy to use. the addition of the 'push it' button is fascinating, making this appropriate for djs looking to add punch to their rig without having to undergo a bachelor's degree in synthesis. one push of a patch and you have either a single note or a quick repeating sequence. activating toggle in the menu makes this function as a hold button, something synths have missed since the roland sh101.
routings and modulation? well yes there are many combinations, but what really matters is one question: how does it sound? the answer is monstrously powerful. although i'm a fan of the evolver, the digital harshness of the two digital oscillators and the generally difficult to work sequencer can be considered drawbacks. the analog warmth of the mopho and the deep low end will instantly stand out for anyone raised on VA synths. there is just no substitute for warm pad-like leads and clean thundering bass with no aliasing. the four dedicated knobs: cutoff, res, attack and release are complimented by well thought out assignments for the four assignable knobs. but dipping into the menu to use them for other functions is easier than any comparable synth. the user will quickly get the hang of the whole menu and have access to a plethora of options at their fingertips. the sequencer and arpeggiator are fairly easy to use and understand. using a patch that already has a sequence illustrates how to use the four sequencers to control things other than notes, something that is not intuitive, but is quite a powerful tool.
the presets are well thought out, many pilfered from the prophet 08, the big brother of the mopho, and some are new. there are few bad patches here, rare for a just released synth. some more ambient soundscapes would be welcomed, but that is just a challenge to go out and make your own. the curtis chips provide a truly vintage sound in a synth that many will not see until 2009.
overall, if you are familiar with analog synthesis, this will be one of the most rewarding experiences you have had in a while. on the other hand, if you have no synth experience at all, you will also be overjoyed with the results. this is an achievement-to grab both ends of the synth spectrum with one single piece of gear. unique i would say.
needless to say, this is version 1.0

sequencer, limited but simple to program.

no onboard effects. true analog. works in all electronic music genres: ambient, techno, glitch and industrial.

so far so good.

dave smith instruments is one of the best out there for customer support. rarely will a response take more than a few hours. dave himself will answer whenever possible. what more could you want?

think sh-101 in a tiny box. if an sh101 was a prophet that is. monstrously powerful for the size.