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About Us

Built by Hand.
Designed by Obsession.

Mayer EMI is a three-person synthesizer company from Austria. We design, build, and test every instrument by hand in our workshop in Bad Vöslau — combining 35+ years of industrial engineering experience with a lifelong love for electronic music.
The Founder

Horst Mayer

CEO & Hardware Engineer
Horst built his first analog synthesizer at 17 — driven by equal parts curiosity for electronics and love for music. His professional path led him into industrial automation, where he spent over 35 years developing hardware and software for companies ranging from startups to Schneider Electric. He co-founded nxtControl, a company specializing in industrial control systems, which was later acquired by Schneider Electric.
In 2012, encouraged by his two sons, Horst returned to his first love: building synthesizers. But this time, he brought along three decades of industrial-grade engineering discipline. The result was the XVA engine — a sound architecture designed with the same rigor as an industrial control system, but built to inspire musicians.
After showing Eurorack prototypes at Superbooth 2019 in Berlin — and receiving overwhelming encouragement from the synth community — Horst made the decision to go full-time. The MD900 launched in 2021, the Vibes MD850 followed in 2024, and Mayer EMI GmbH was officially founded.
“I decided to convert my passion into my full-time job. After 35 years of industrial training, it was time to build the instrument I always wanted to exist.”
— Horst Mayer, Founder
Horst Mayer with the MD900 synthesizer

Designed and Assembled in Bad Vöslau, Austria

Bad Voeslau

30 minutes south of Vienna  where vineyards and nature meet precision engineering. Every Mayer EMI instrument is born here, in our workshop, built by hand.

The Team

One Vision. Three Obsessions.

Horst had the vision. But making it real took a team. Today, Mayer EMI is three people — each bringing a different expertise, sharing the same uncompromising standard. No departments. No outsourced decisions. When you email us, one of us answers.

Horst Mayer

Founder & CEO
Hardware engineering, XVA engine design, circuit and PCB design. 35+ years of industrial automation experience. Every signal path in every Mayer EMI synth is Horst’s creation.

Ricardo Herrklotz

Software & Systems
Firmware, XVAOS, VibesConnect, touchscreen UI. Ricardo turns hardware into a living instrument — from the operating system to the browser-based DAW mode that makes the Vibes a true SynthStation.

Gernot Kollegger

Product & Operations
Production, quality control, supply chain, partnerships. Gernot ensures every unit that leaves the workshop meets the standard all three of them set — from prototype to unboxing.
Our Story

From a Teenage Hobby to a Professional Instrument

1980s

The First Synth

At 17, Horst builds his first analog synthesizer. A hobby that would quietly shape the next four decades.

1985–2020

35 Years of Industrial Precision

A career in industrial automation — hardware and software for control systems, co-founding nxtControl (later acquired by Schneider Electric).

2012

The Spark Returns

Encouraged by his sons, Horst begins developing electronic music instruments again — this time with 35 years of engineering behind him.

2019

Superbooth Debut

First Eurorack prototypes at Superbooth Berlin. The synth community’s response confirms: this is worth pursuing full-time.

2021

MD900 Launches

The MD900 XVA desktop synthesizer — four-part multitimbral, wavetable + VA, clip launcher, drum machine. Handmade in Austria.

2024

GmbH & The Vibes

Mayer EMI GmbH founded. The Vibes MD850 launches — same XVA engine, compact format. VibesConnect turns every browser into a DAW.
Why This Price

Built Where It Matters

We get asked this a lot. Why €1,799 for a desktop synthesizer? Because every part of this instrument comes from a European supply chain we trust.The PCBs are manufactured by Rauch Elektronik in Austria  not a nameless factory overseas.

The aluminum chassis is precision-machined. The walnut panels are hand-finished. The enclosures come from HMT Rüffel in Germany. Final assembly and quality control happen by hand in Bad Vöslau before anything ships. Three people. No shortcuts. No cheapest-available parts list.

You’re not paying for a brand name or a marketing budget. You’re paying for an instrument built the way it should be  and we test every single one to make sure you feel that when you unbox it.

Made in Europe

Our Manufacturing Partners

We design everything in-house. Manufacturing is done with trusted partners across Austria, Germany, and Poland. Final assembly and quality control happens in our workshop.

Rauch Elektronik

Austria
PCB manufacturing and electronics assembly. The MDX mainboard and all circuit boards.

HMT Rüffel

Germany
Precision enclosure manufacturing. The aluminum chassis that defines the instrument’s feel.

Grawart

Poland
Specialized components and production support. European supply chain, short lead times.
What We Believe

Our Philosophy

We Do Technic — You Do Music

Our job is to build the best tool we can. Your job is to make music with it. We handle the engineering so you never have to think about it.

Industrial Standards, Musical Soul

35 years of building industrial-grade control systems taught us how to make things that don’t break. We apply that same discipline to every synthesizer.

Built to Evolve

We don’t ship and move on. Firmware updates, new features, VibesConnect — every instrument gets better over time. Our Discord is always open.

Want to See What We've Built?

The Vibes MD850 is everything we know — packed into one instrument.
Explore the MD850 Vibes
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