Moog’s holiday deals include a free new effects plugin

Moog’s holiday promos this year include a particularly nice perk: a freebie. The synthesizer pioneer has released a free new MF-109S Saturator add-on (shown above) for all Moogerfooger Effects Plugins users. As the name implies, the plugin gives you more control over the input drive circuit to produce anything from analog saturation through to smooth compression. It also replicates the noise generator circuit of the Minimoog Model D, with control through a switchable filter type.

You’ll need to own Moogerfooger Effects Plugins to get the MF-109S, but the pack is on sale for $149 (normally $249) as of this writing. It works with common plugin formats like AudioUnits, ProTools AAX and VST3 on Macs and Windows PCs.

And don’t worry if you’d rather buy full-fledged creative software — Moog has deals there, too. The company is once again offering 50 percent off its iOS and Mac software, including the Animoog Z wavetable synthesis app ($15 to unlock), Minimoog Model D ($15) and Model 15 (also $15). This isn’t the first time Moog has run a sale on its apps this year, but you might not mind if you’re hoping to add classic synth sounds to your musical repertoire.

It may be worth investing in the Moogerfooger effects set even if the bonus isn’t a draw. We were impressed with the plugins when we tried them in October. You can produce subtle results if you want, but they’re at their best when you venture to the stranger side — even a basic track can stand out with the right tweaks. They’re treats for musicians who revere analog synthesis but don’t have thousands of dollars to spend on vintage hardware.