Hand-built synthesizers from Bad Vöslau. Designed, engineered and assembled by the people you can talk to.
Founder Horst Mayer brings 35 years of industrial automation to instrument design. He co-founded nxtControl, later acquired by Schneider Electric. Today, that experience goes into Mayer EMI synthesizers.
Founder, CEO & hardware engineer
Horst built his first analog synthesizer at 17. What began as a fascination with sound became a career in hardware engineering, embedded systems and industrial automation.
In 2005, he co-founded nxtControl, a building and industrial automation company later acquired by Schneider Electric. The engineering experience from that work now shapes the instruments he builds.
Encouraged by his two sons, Horst returned to electronic instrument development in 2012. Eurorack prototypes followed, with a Superbooth appearance in 2019. The MD900 shipped in 2021. The Vibes MD850 followed in 2024.
Horst Mayer, founder
Our workshop is in Bad Vöslau, around 30 minutes south of Vienna. This is where we assemble, test and inspect every Vibes before it ships.
Hardware, software and production work together here. Meet the three people behind your instrument.
Founder & CEO
Software & systems
Firmware, the XVAOS operating system, VibesConnect and the touchscreen interface. Ricardo connects the instrument’s hardware with the way you use it.
Product & operations
A career in industrial automation, including co-founding nxtControl, later acquired by Schneider Electric.
Horst presents his Eurorack prototypes at Superbooth in Berlin.
The Vibes MD850 launches. Mayer EMI becomes a GmbH after 12 years of instrument development.
2026
128 free wavetables to explore in a compatible synthesizer. Discover the collection.
A Vibes is a considered purchase. Its price reflects how and where it is made: electronics produced and assembled by Rauch Elektronik in Austria, a metal enclosure made by HMT Rüffel in Germany, and walnut panels finished and inspected before mounting.
Final assembly and individual testing happen in Bad Vöslau. We work with specialist manufacturing partners and bring the finished instrument together ourselves. These are the people and processes behind the price.
Made in Europe
We design our instruments in-house and work with specialists in Austria, Germany and Poland. Each partner has a specific part in the build.
Precision enclosure manufacturing for the instrument’s metal chassis.
Why them: Flexible batch sizes from 50 units, suited to small-scale instrument production.
Horst’s background in industrial control systems informs the electronics, controls and testing of our instruments. Each synth is assembled and individually tested before it leaves Bad Vöslau.
VibesConnect, the resonator oscillator, the arpeggiator and SFZ import have reached existing owners through free updates. Aurora 5.0 continues that development with new sounds and ways to work.
We don’t build synths for the mass market. We build one instrument, for producers and performers who value engineering over marketing, depth over presets, and longevity over hype cycles. If you want plug-and-play simplicity, there are excellent options from larger companies. If you want a tool that grows with you, we built the Vibes for you.
Is Vibes right for your setup? Email the team. We reply personally within 48 hours. If a conversation would help, ask to speak with Horst.
Explore the FM Legacy Collection: 128 free wavetables to try in a compatible synth you already use.
See what other Mayer EMI users are making. Ask questions, compare setups and share ideas.
