I went out to buy a Subsequent 37 as a replacement for my "dying" Sub 37. Before I went out shopping, I read up on all the issues that people experienced. Among others, I read a review where a buyer complained that they got a Subsequent with a poorly cut-out side panel. So I made sure to check the panels on the one I intended to buy. And lo and behold, the left side panel was poorly cut, with several spaces of about 1/8" to 1/10" wide around the metal panels, so there was a bunch of gaps between the metal and wooden parts. The right-side panel didn't have this issue at all and seemed to be well cut. Now, this obviously doesn't impact the sound, but I still felt that a new synth should come without gaps in the chasis. And since the people at the shop were super nice, they brought out another one which we unboxed together. And to our surprise, not only did it also have a poorly cut side panel, but this one also had a screw sticking out about 1/10" from the side, while all the other ones were flush with the panel's surface. The screw head had very clear scuff marks, and the shop assistant tried to screw it in, but it just wouldn't budge - another poorly cut panel.
In the end, we opened a total of 4 Subsequent 37s. All with poorly cut panels. We later realized that ALL the Subsequents had several screws with obvious scuff marks, so their whole manufacturing process is questionable to me at this point. I compared the side panels with my old Sub 37 that I have at home to make sure I'm not making stuff up, but no - the ones on the old Sub were perfectly contoured with no gaps.
In the end, I simply picked one because I need a working synth, screw the aesthetics. And wouldn't you know it... LFO 1 didn't work properly. I put the synth into the INIT preset, and LFO just did... nothing. Then it worked for a bit before it stopped working again. Absolute frustration. So I ended up trying one more, which worked well, and well, I just hope it will keep on working for a while.
Really makes me wonder though about what Moog is doing these days. I still enjoy the brand for it's sound and workflow, but is it really too much to ask that a $2000 synth gets some QC before it's shipped out? This all comes after my old Sub37 developed like 4 independent issues. Sigh.
I'd still get a Subsequent again, I'd just advise anybody else to try before they buy if it's an option.
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