Moog Minimoog

it's all laid out for you

if you can't get a good sound with this.......

ALIVE!!!!!!

NEEDS LOVING CARE and SUPPORT like your girlfriend or wife/so

You can find good tech although Kevin Lightner is not accepting hew work at this time

OK, mr skeptic testing, what kind of computer did you use and what was your "tube amp"???????????
specifics, please.....i've toured using a macbook pro w/arturia thru a hiwatt a dumble and a custom built keyboard amp/preamp/speaker (everything tube) and I a/b'd arturia with my voyager and a colleague's model d-- and, guess what, the arturia was like a 4 cylinder sub-compact vs a ferrari, cobra or lamborghini..... it folded next to them like a schoolyard bully confronted by an older, bigger brother.... i used it for pads, textures and comping ONLY..... and now it sits UNUSED on my laptop....
....and i suppose there is no real difference between an mp3 download and an glass laster?

Well I decided I would test a minimoog vs arturia software, and was impressed that the arturia could sound every bit the same as the minimoog. The trick was running the output of my computer through the same tube amp I use for the Moog, and now in a blind test you can't tell which is which. So all you need is a good amp or a good speaker system, I suggest the tube amp because that is how you get the classic minimoog sound.

The minimoog is a monophonic synth, the arturia plugin can run polyphonic if you have the CPU power, plus a modulation matrix, so the minimoog is essentially just a collector piece, you can duplicate the sound exactly with digital and do much more than the original could ever do. There is no real difference.

It is not worth the price they fetch if you play because I have done extensive testing and you can make digital sound exactly the same as analog. It is only of interest to collectors now for historical reasons.

Retarded easy.

Bare bones... but the tone is unreal.

Relatively speaking Im gonna have to give it the lowest possible rating cause sorry- its true!

Where is the 1,000,000 ??? I only see 1-10... I own 9 synths and its by far the BEST of all of them.

note- I do NOT own any modular systems.

Ill go middle ground- unstable ocsillators EVEN when serviced unless you maybe get the buffer board models.

Sadly, they sound WORSE... Not always but QUITE OFTEN!

Must tune it constantly to be perfect BUT its that imperfection that makes MAGIC HAPPEN!

Huh?

I write this to help clear up 1 thing- The Voyager is NO MINIMOOG. The Voyager is INCREDIBLE but it does NOT nail the bottom of the original. Nor does it match the edgy instability of the top end. And I BOUGHT it for the BASS!

If you have many synths- get an original and deal with all the BS for that incredible TONE! If you only have 1 or 2 synths GET THE VOYAGER- way more bang for the buck.

Its sad the way Moog insists on saying the Voyager can be a mini cause its just not true. I paid too much and its worth EVERY PENNY!!!

it's a simple analog synth engine, really easy to use. the only thing obscure is how the release works. so it may take up to 30 seconds to figure out.

it's power is it's deep sound and filter characteristics, it's programming power is its three oscillator design. it gets more animated if you sacrifice the 3rd oscillator for a second LFO. i use all of my monosynths with a Pro-2000, so it integrates into my sequencing environment without modification. be aware that it uses S-trig for gating, and the CV control for S-trig is different than standard gate, so you need either a MIDI/CV box with S-trig output or an S-trig cable with a built-in gate-to-S-trig circuit.

it's THE classic sound, heavy bass, everything 1970s and world-class theremin-esque sound. not a powerful synth engine (like an Xpander), not a bread-and-butter synth, but wonderful sound.

it's old, you will spend some money having a well-qualified tech bringing it up to speed and replacing old parts. as solid as anything once you do.

customer support is user groups (esp Lords of the Mini) and synth techs.

i own a host of synthesizers: stuff like a Prophet VS, MaxMSP, Xpander, Jupiter-6, Poly Evolver, Radias, FS1R, SY99, Mono/Poly, Pro One etc. the Mini is huge in my studio, i was so impressed with the quality of it's sound that i bought a second one- now i have a '74 and a '79. if i couldn't afford one, i would buy a Mono/Poly. the Mini is really worth its weight in gold if you can afford it but don't sacrifice critical gear to finance it- its better to be able to produce music than have a great sounding monosynth.

So super easy it's superbad! All synthes sould be this good! Seth and Evan would aprove!

The best feature is it's sound.Just don't listen to ELP or Wakeman examples.You will puke.It's got the golden Jewish tone.In other words, it's the chosen one!

This is one superbad analog synthe! The best action after bushings replaced.The best filter bar none.

forget what that one lame poster said about tuning it with the stump of your arm.My mini is rock solid.All mini need an overhaul dumbass.

It sucks to have to send it off to a slow tech.If a tech is reading this, wake up man and give us better service.Get off your ass and do some work!

Don't listen to any lame Wakeman stuff...Oh how I want to puke when I hear that crap!I hope those guys didn't get laid back in the day because it sucks to think anyone would fall for the BS.

Simple, but refreshing. The sound is alive and changing so I don't see it has having a static set of sounds. Slight movements change its character. It sparkles. So, yeah, its not a modular, but its features are its organic sound.

Its 3 wonderful sounding oscillators, a wonderful sounding filter, and wonderful sounding VCA. Its up to you what you do with it. You scare me man. The Minimoog has a rich, warm thick sound. Many possibilities if you are capable of thinking outside of the box.

Ive had trouble here and there, but I am told they should last with regular check ups.

Lots of techs out there. Its easy to fix most times

If it were stolen, I'd buy it again. After yelling "why me" to the heavens. Nothing compares. Ive heard lots of synths and this one is unrivaled in Rich. Colored. Warm. Fat (yes, plump) quality sound. It might be a curse cause it might make all your current synths sound like crap.

I'd give the mini a 10 for ease of use if it stayed in tune, scaled properly, fit in a mix,and didn't have it's keyboard mounted to 20 lbs worth of pressboard, all of these "features" make it prohibitive to play, record, or gig with. The 5 is for having those huge 70's guitar amp style knobs that you can turn with your stump or your chin while you try to reach around the back to recalibrate the tuning mid song.

Well, it get's a 2 because it IS a synthesizer and at the very least not an organ or a kazoo.
This "amazing" synth doesn't have PWM, OSC SYNC, or an LFO that will go any slower than what sounds like forced vibrato, i.e no slow sweeping changes, or PWM chorusing effects, or even the hardsync sound the "lesser" Prodigy makes. It will sound FAT though, mostly because of the fact that it's 3 Oscillators aren't stable, can't be synced, and are clipping that lowpass filter we all love. In the 8 years I owned my mini, and it never made it onto a single recording.

Think "progressive" rock. It's the most DATED monosynth i've ever played. It sounds like the audio equivalent of a pair of bell-bottoms, flashy, but FOREVER out of style.

NO. TEMPERATURE DEPENDENT TUNING PROBLEMS.

I sold my mini in 1999 for $1500. It is worth the $100 I paid for it in a Pawn Shop in 1991 when the same burn-out boomers that claim to love it were playing Korg M-1 digital organs. I've been actively making electronic music for 18 years. I'm using a Doepfer a-100 modular system, a Roland System 100 semimodular system, a SCI PRO-1, a Prophet 600, a Soundart Chameleon, and an OSX equiped Motorola based notebook computer.

The finest monosynth ever. Finer than my Signature Voyager, dare I say.

Monophonic. The action is excellent now that I've replaced the bushings in the keyboard.

Gritty, warm pure analog tone. It's like any good musical instrument in that it makes you want to play.

I would depend on it. I may gig with it. After all, they were built to be played and enjoyed. If you do get one, finding a good tech will be costly. Be willing to spend some serious money if you are not technically inclined.

I'd buy another. I love how inspiring it is and that it doesn't sound the same from day to day. I love it!

I am 49. I've been into electronic music since the middle 60's.
Analogue synthesis is therefore as easy as ABC on the mini.
After all it was, and 40 years later, still IS the analogue synth.

It's monophonic of course.However it's processing features for a particular sound are limitless.
One has to remember that it is a 70's machine.
For it's time it was well advanced

A very playable real-time expressiveness, once you've learnt all the
functions of the controllers.

Mine is serial no 12676 and dated 27/02/80
It's now therefore over 25 years old and as far as I am concerned, is going to outlast some of the more modern stuff I have bought.

A legendary synthesiser and responsible for the creation and evolution of a 20th century musical era.
The dream of a genius was made into a real musical instrument
It was the best in the 70's and as far as I can see, is today still vastly superior to anything on the market!
All the software comes and disappears virtually overnight.
Even modern hardware synths have struggled to establish any status against this brilliant machine.
After all, what hardware or software synth ever made, doesn't try to emulate the minimoog?

Editing is full-frontal... everything, even the sound is straight in your face. No hidden menues or abstract editing crap like that. It is the prototype of a synthesizer. If you own the original patch-sheets, filling them out or re-programming sounds on the moog can be big fun. look every parementer in order, there you go. fast! no need for storing patches when every knob you set is on the parementer you see. 'so the unit is more physical. more instrument than any other synth i know. i looked into the manual, but... well... mine written in 1978... its really old and too theoretic about simulating trumpets and stuff. who cares now.

no polyphony. but polly rides the pony. it is living. keyboard action is great. get internal midi upgrades. it gives you even a seperate LFO. if you know other analogues, the minimoog's keyboard latency is VERY little. you even can get your fingers floating around and becoming your own sequencer... you can drift away by this.
no hangs or glitches. i never had an instrument, that is so quiet if a note is of, and so wild if a note is on.

it makes every note sound like music. headphones are... well ok, but they dont fit the sound for real. you have to try it over the monitors or the pa. even the highest osc. ranges sound organic, living, real. try a nord lead or so, you will lough about the plastic crap of VAs (but only if you did not spend thousands of bucks for the VA). The only VA i really like is the virus, but.. it fails in high regions too, as it does in deep low notes. the minimoog is no simulation, it is real. and even so real is the keyboard. i love the keys and the interface, pitch bender and routable modulation wheel. and with the FMs of the vca or fitler, you can create the strangest sounds... who says you only can do ELP or wakreman sounds with the minimoog? ha!

oh sure you can. but i never will take it out for gigging. if there is only a scratch! it is a beautiful "mobelstuck", it fits so perfectly in my working room. satin-black with silver knobs and orange/blue switches. like a grand piano, not toy-like. robust. you can rely on. that's why musicians toured with mini-moogs back in the 70s.

bob moog is dead. but electronic music services know how to revitalize or repair your moog, maybe if the thing got involved in a car crash or you threw it for uknown psychical reasons on the floor. anyway, this is built like a church. for eternity. but check for the unbelievable lintronics midi upgrade or get one with stabilized osc. boards. you will never stand in front of closed doors with your moog!!!!

If it were lost or stolen, I would probably get lost too... or so ;)
I love its musical behaviour, the top sound processing... absolutely NO background noises or vca gating noises after a longer release... it fads in and out. ultra fast or endlessly slow. I did compare it to my sh2, some say "rolands attempt to a mini moog"... but dudes... the sh2 feels much more like an old, swampy sawtooth-filter machine with a much cheaper interface. or compared to the ms20... it is missing the stomache of a sh2 or minimoog, and the filters are not that round and tasty. or the doepfer a100... if the a100 is a maerklin home train, the mini is solid LGB. nothing comes close. and it is even not MINI or weightless. it is only mini in terms of size to a modular synthesizer! Well, basically I was only fun bidding on Ebay... but I finally got the Moog! And I thought, ha... sure I will sell it... no money for an old box like this, but I'll give it a try...BUT THEN I REALIZED: NOO I will NOT trade it for a voyager, andromeda or what else too. listen to gezebo's "love in your eyes" the mini moog lead is cryin with joy (and even he sings about the minimoog in this song)!!!

The UI is simple hands on.

Everything you could ever want except for sync and distortion- some have Riviera music system mods that do this though. Cool!

The Voyager is no replacement for the original Minimoog- I am not a dinosaur stuck in the past but a young budding true player. I am 26 and have been playing since I was 4. I listen to classic stuff like Mahavishnu Orchestra, Jan Hammer, Jean Luc Ponty, Manfred Manns Earth Band, UK, Allan Holdsworth, Jeff Beck, Happy the Man etc... and there are a couple things that namely make the Minimoogs sound. Everyone always thinks its just the filter but it's much more than that. #1 the filter, #2 the overdriven VCA design, #3 the 3 stage envelopes, #4 the resonance- portamento thing how the resonance gets lower as you play lower on the keyboard, and most importantly, the Minimoog has no dead spot on the pitch wheel the way every single modern day Midi keyboard does on the pitch wheel. The only keyboard made these days with no dead spot or should we say the only keyboard made these days you can use to achieve natural sounding vibrato through the pitch wheel other than the original Minimoog is the Nord Lead with the pitch stick. That is never talked about and it really needs to be brought to attention. Also everyone always talks about a fat 3 oscilator sound, well all the old fusion records you love so much use only 2 oscillators and the 3rd is used for an LFO for the mod wheel. So if you have a 2 osc synth with an LFO, it has the same architecture as the Mini did on most records you love so well. Everyone alwasy goes ooohhh 3 oscialators, yeah but the 3rd you are likely to use as an LFO for the mod wheel.

If you love it, it loves you back.

The folks at Moog music would rather try to sell you the vastly flawed Voyager than try to deal with this thing.

Overall, this thing, the original Moog Taurus Pedals and the Yamaha CS80 are the old analog boards with the most musical personality. It's a classic. The ultimate synth would be to buy a Studio Electronics MidiMini and control it with a Nord Lead as a controller then you would have the ultimate in expressiveness, reliability and sound.

Very easy to get great sound from.

Lacks a fourth LF Oscillator, for modulation to provide vibrato or tremolo effects.

Very expressive, and eay to get a good sound.

Very dependable, keyboard prone to bad contacts.

Do all my own repairs, and fixes.

Irreplaceable, even with the new Voyager.
Playing it for over 30 years.
Only love, nothing to hate.
4th Osc.
Very inspirational.
This Minimoog was originally from the USA, with 110Vac, converted to 240Vac, very simple, completely renovated by myself. Will NOT Sell her.

Mine is #13239. It's an "Australian" release, with a 240V power
supply. Mine was probably made in 1980 or 1981.
The front panel is the predecessor to all synths since.
it is very simple to operate but obviously you still have to work
to get a good sound out of it.

Obviously a monophonic synth, with 3 oscillators.
Someone laughed when I bough this and said "but it only has one note".
I said "but it's a good one!".

Expansion via CV/Gate and inputs for the filter and audio in. 2 outputs, plus a phones output. Mine appears to have a an extra pair of
CV/Gate inputs that are obviously professionally done. I think it has been modded to support standard CV and gate control just like a Roland.

The mini seems to just sit there saying to me, "play me".
It is a sheer joy to have such a wonderful professional instrument.
I am only a hobbyist these days, but I couldn't resist buying
this for my "collection". I've been playing it a lot and
all I know is that it has that distinctive sound that stands out
on so many recordings from when I was younger! It makes me want to
play and especially it seems to influence how I play. I am still
learning how to get "my" sound on this synth - still getting past
all the others on the way. It is a very personal sound though.
I am doing things on the Mini I hadn't considered on other monos.
I am very lucky mine has a very sweet sound and holds it's tune
extremely well.

Mine seems to be very solid and robust. If I need repairs,
there is a good synth tech here in Sydney who knows a lot about them.
I am thinking of getting the keyboard replaced, with a modern update
from a company in Austria, that does them for 49 euros. My keyboard
is still very playable, but is starting to get a bit clacky.

It's a vintage, so no support here. I just need that synth tech,
who is very good.

I paid a premium price for mine, but I am only the third owner.
Mine is in excellent condition and plays like a beauty.
It looks great, sounds even better and I am really glad I
got it. I will never let this synth go and I love it!
A dream come true for me....

This is the easiest most responsive interface you could ask for. Knobs switches, a couple of mod wheels and a small monophonic keyboard.

Monophonic, but don't let that deter you, The 3 oscillators are great for speaker shaking bass, or use the 3rd oscillator at slow speed, for great filter sweeps. About 90% of the analog synth sounds you hear on 70's records are Minimoog, and they are still being used today. It takes a slight learning curve but you get better and better each time, it is easier to play and find new things on it. This is a very versatile synth for being "just a monophonic synth".

This is the most realistic sounding analog synth there is. It doesn't mimic other instruments very well, except perhaps horns and strings, but you can tell the Minimoog is a synthesizer. They were originally created to add to the sounds that were available. This is an extremely expressive, musical artistic tool. Somewhat raw sound and will shake the speakers with the bass, and you can also get lots of spacy effects. They need periodic calibration from time to time, but are great when they are serviced and the oscillators are in reasonably good tune. Like a horn or guitar tuning is a fairly ongoing process.

This minimoog is bulletproof. I have had other ones, one needed lots of work by a tech but once he fixed it, it was bulletproof. The only problem is they are somewhat collectible and it may be chancy to take one out of the studio.

Not applicable.

I would buy one anytime if it were lost. This is an original instrument that can't be duplicated. I have played synths on and off for about 17 years. I have played drums and percussion and bass much longer than that. This is a very addictive musical device that always adds something to the mix. It stands alone amongst true analog synths as the best one in history. I have played ARP 2600's and would buy one of them too but not for their playability, more for their features. The Minimoog would be nice if it had an envelope generator, and a sample and hold or random LFO feature, perhaps MIDI-clock controlled LFO, but these are features that can be obtained with a midi/cv controller device such as a Kenton Pro 2, so you can add on to the Minimoog. This is a true classic. It has obvious limitations being monophonic but these are the limitations that helps you create your art. Overall the Moog Minimoog sets the standard for excellence on a product that was produced for more than 10 years, an unheard of longevity for a product nowdays, which makes their extreme usefulness in todays music even more impressive.

Easy because of logical controls. Everything you do want,(except sync) nothing you don't.

Well it's old school so no Midi of course but who needs Midi?

Has an unduplicatable sound. Newbies think the Minimoog sounds great due to it's filters but in fact it sounds great because of the overdriven VCA and the fast envelopes. I'd say that the VCA has more to do with the Mini sound than the VCF. This is the only synth I know of that comes stock with an overdriven VCA :) Many manufacturers should have done the same in their designs.

Well there's oscillator drift, a clanky keyboard and probably the most disappointing thing about the Mini is the wheels- very touchy. I wouldn't take it on the road now days.

Well for good examples of this machine, forget ELP and all that garbage. Because the Mini is such an beastly machine, there were only a handful of good Mini players that really knew how to make the thing talk and master it's expressive capabilities. Those players who mastered the Mini were- Jan Hammer (Mahavishnu Orchestra), Kit Watkins (Happy the Man), Manfred Mann (Manfred Manns Earth Band) Allan Zavod (Jean Luc Ponty), Adam Holzman (The Fents) Gerd Fuhrs (SFF) Eddie Jobson and George Duke and second to the players above Don Airey has to get some recognition. Jens Johanssen is a crazy player but uses a Korg Poly Six for all his leads (figure that one out?!!)
Other guys like Wakeman and Emerson never even came close to those mentioned above. They were kinda stodgy stiff players and had no soul because they were too busy wearing capes, having cups of tea and playing croquet and all the other lame typically english keyboard player stuff. Man I hate all that Yes and ELP garbage. Have fun with that Dungeons and Dragons boy. The Mini is an all american legend.

Its a pice of cake to program - the userinterface is physical on the Minimoog panel. Just grab and twist

Its a pre-MIDI monophonic synth. With a MIDI-interface such Kenton or Synhouse you can get it to roll in modern MIDI-sequensers

Its a synth, not for acustic sounds but for fantasysounds such synthbasses, nice leads, fx and so on. The best bass om earth ("Motown-" and "Michael Jackson-" basses)

Its a litte bit to work with concerning tuning. I use to tune it perfect just before recording and then record it with help of MIDI to a audiotrack - couse the tune-problem.

The tune problem is common on the main part of the Minimoogs. On mine its VCO 3 that detune when the temperature in the room switch a bit

Theres some vintage repair shops that are very skillfully on vintage synthesizers. I live right now in Stockholm, Sweden, and theres a repair shop called JAM (www.jam.se) that have dig in my mini and helped me with some of my vintagesynths.

It THE SYNTH

Please visit my Minimoog page on www.soundofmusic.se

I just got a service manual with mine. It came in handy when I got it repaired

It doesn't have a sequencer.

It doesn't react to velocity or after touch, however I don't have mine midied so I don't know.

I haven't had the oportunity to use it on a gig, I'd love to see how it cuts through guitars.

I've had mine for a couple of months now and I had to get the wave form switch for oscillator 1 fixed and the modulation wheel fixed. All the keys work and I'm glad it was in such good shape. The guy that worked on it said that it had been sitting and hadn't been played for quite along time. It works great now.

The sound is really fat and warm, picture the best chocolate in the world that you've tasted, nobody else can match this synth. They can try but, they'll never come close. I'd forgotten how wonderful the minimoog sounds until I got mine. The newer synths don't match it at all soundwise. My Roland JD-800 is quite a bit thinner sounding than the moog when it comes to lead patches and basses. The Minimoog sounds great when you play it against anything. It's given my other 2 keyboards new life. There's no affects on board, so I just use a touch or reverb on it from my reverb unit and it sounds amazing. Word to the wise, you won't need to turn your bass eq up on the mixer, just leave it in the middle and the minimoog does the rest. It's really simple and easy to use. You just start turning knobs on it and you can creat an endless varriety of sounds. I wish you could have all 3 oscillators playing at the same time and still get the modulation, but 2 more than gives it that killer sound. When it goes out of tune, just tune it a little with the a440 switch and you're set. Or just tune oscillator 1 perfectly to 2 and there you go. I'm never getting rid of this synth.

Once you've learned the basics of analog synthesis, you'll find that there's absolutely nothing to using the Minimoog. It's exquisitely simple and straightforward. Coming up with sounds is a breeze. I've had mine since 1995 and I never get tired of its features and functionality. For those who complain of its lack of sync and other later features of analog synths, buy one of those synths! The Minimoog is just perfect the way Moog made it. Mine is unaltered and still the same way it was when it left the factory, and after seven years, I can still find new ways to make sounds with it. The simple fact is - Moog got it right the first time. If you have troubles operating this synth, maybe you're not cut out for analog synthesis.

The only reason I didn't give it a 10 is that the Minimoog is a simple subtractive analog synth, not very heavy on the features. But that's what makes it so expressive and musical. You spend more time playing and less time fidgeting with your sounds. Perfection in every detail for a musician's synth. And it has the features you need, like the CV/Gate inputs on the back so it can be played with your hands or sequenced. Having the original Moog filter is a great feature of this synth, too. It can't be beat! For all the features it's missing, that's why I have a Prophet 5, Arp 2600, and OB-8 to give me those pleasures. Its one key feature is simply its sound. NOTHING sounds like a Minimoog!

I'll go with the popular contention that "realism" isn't necessarily a key attribute to the Minimoog's sound. It's an instrument all itself unto its own. What's the use in trying to imitate other instruments? The Minimoog IS an instrument! Just like a Gibson L5 or a Fender Rhodes piano or the Hammond B3 organ or a Rickenbacker Bass. Expressiveness? This is musician's synth that is also capable of assimilating itself to modern Techno as well. In other words, it's as human or as robotic as you can make it. The sounds can be beautiful, ugly, melodic, rhythmic, thin, powerful, etc. Whatever you want. This isn't a modern classic for nothing!

Reliability is a catch-22 with the Minimoog. It's only as reliable as you treat it. If you gig a lot and move it around a lot and bang it around, how reliable can it be? Leave it in a temperature-controlled studio and it's VERY reliable, but if you gig a lot, it'll break down from constant impacts and hot/cold variation. I leave mine in the studio. There it's very reliable. But even so, time will take its toll on a 20 to 30 year old instrument. I'd leave it in the studio, especially if you bought yours recently at anywhere from $1000 to $3000. Remember, this IS an analog instrument! It reacts much differently than a digital instrument. Overall, its simple design lends itself to good reliability.

I've never dealt with the company as it was 13 years out of business when I bought mine, but due to its legendary and highly-regarded status, it's not all that hard to find people to work on them. Most large (and many small) music stores have someone on their staff who is familiar with the Minimoog's operation and servicing. Everywhere I go the people shine when you mention your Minimoog. They're happy and willing to work on it. But...you can never count on it!

Overall, I'd say this IS the undisputed KING of vintage analog synthesizers. PERIOD! It lacks many of the later features that became more or less standard on analog synths, but that doesn't detract at all from the usability, the sheer beauty (sonic and physical), and expressiveness and playability of this synth. It's flexible enough to where after seven years of use I'm nowhere NEAR bored with it. In fact, I wouldn't sell this for anything. It's that good. Play one and you'll see what the hype is about. There's been imitators since the early '70s and NONE of them stack up. Simple as that. The ARP Oddysey is cool, but not as powerful. The Sequential Pro-one is cool, but just a different beast. The Korg and Roland mono-synths of the day just didn't even come close. The newer SE-1 from Studio Electronics is pretty much supposed to be a Minimoog, but come on, it's about 95% there. All synths have their special attributes and definitely a place in the picture, but the Minimoog is something special. I am personally opposed to modifying Minimoogs other than the MIDI kits because they're already perfect. Modifying them is just like saying your child isn't good enough. But that's a large area of debate. I like 'em just the way they are! As far as tuning stability - why I must have gotten a good one, because mine has the earlier oscillator boards and once warm, stays in tune just fine! Maybe after an hour or so it needs a little touch-up, but so does a guitar. And zero-beat tuning is as easy as pie. Takes me 10 seconds to tune all three oscillators to A-440. If I were to lose my Minimoog for whatever reason, life would be tough, but I guess it helps to have an OB-8, Prophet 5, ARP 2600, and a large Modular Moog system to fall back on, but truth be told, not even a Modular Moog sounds like a Minimoog. I have yet to try the Memorymoog out, but I'm sure not even that sounds like a Minimoog. Bottom line - THIS SYNTH IS TOPS! It's not just hype.

i like my moog. i dont know too much about it but the sounds i do get out of it are awesome. and it always gets great coploments doesnt it? i like the really really low growling sound and it is true about the tuning. but oh well what are you gonna do? they are old.and yes i did pay $45.oo dollars for this and a little califone speaker for 10 buck. at a flea market. i guess the guy didnt know what he had. or how much they were worth. he just said that everything worked but didnt know what most of the buttons did. but hey, come on $45.00!

even though im still figuring out how most of the knobs interact with each other its a really great little machine. and it has one of the brightest overload light in the world.

i like to use it for dancy type stuff like 80's new wave or maybe industial electronica type stuff its just got this thick warm sound that digital keybords dont have. and when the highs cut, they really cut.

ive used it for gigs before and everyone always told me they could hear me over almost every thing so i had to turn down alot. but man does it do the job for those spacey moments.

i havent had anyything done on it or have had it checked out maily because i dont know where to go espesially in the area i live in.

come on $45.00!! id really appreciate it if anyone could help my with any info on how to play and use this dream to its fullest.

Overall, this is a very simple synthesizer to figure out for anyone who knows the basics of subtractive synthesis. The only subtle point that may not be immediately intuitive is that there is no dedicated LFO. One must create an LFO from oscillator 3 (which I think is actully cool). Also one can create bizarre FM-type effects by modulating osc 3 at higher frequencies. Its simplicity certainly makes it fun to play with. No memory, no presets. Manual is straight-forward albeit unecessary (except for tuning the pots)

Monophonic, 3 VCO each with the basic analog waveforms (osc 2 and 3 are independently detunable), 1 VCF, 1 VCA (with white/pink noise generator), seperate EG's for VCA and VCF, LFO (using osc 3), pitch bend and modulation wheel)No MIDI (though this can be retrofitted), No sequencer, No arpegiattor, No effects. No S/H, No syncing of oscillators.

This is where the minimoog excels......No exaggeration; despite its simplicity, it can create quite a diversity of sounds. I own some other keyboards, which I mention here for comparison: Wadorf Q (awesome), Access Virus Kb (awesome), Korg MS 2000 (decent), Roland JP 8000 (decent) and some "vinatge" synths: ARP Odyssey (weak and thin), Korg MS 20 (decent), Prohet 5 (slightly lower than awesome), and Gleeman Pentaphonic clear (yes, I actually found one.........sounds awesome). Now, the minimoog sounds much richer than any of the above mentioned true analogs (excepting the Gleeman......which sounds just as good), and while it is certainly not as flashy as the Q or virus, it still sounds much better than either of these when one tries to emulate minimoog sounds with these other 2 (ie, turn off all the flashy stuff and effects and use the basic parameters). It is truely a joy to hear its warm, rich sounds.

This is the dark side of the minimoog (as with all old analogs). The oscillators tend to drift out of pitch and eventually have to be tuned about 3-4 times a year. This actually isn't too difficult; one just turns the appropriate pots on the back with a screwdriver. My minimoog will sometimes misbehave in that for a period of time (hours to days), it will warble in and out of tune (like sickly modulation). Someone told me this means some of the transisitors may eventually need replacing. Other than that, it is very solid and sturdy. Though I don't gig, I would be a little nervous about using it live, though in general, once it is warmed up it is usally very reliable (aside from the above-metioned oscillator drifitng).

No more Moog, since the mid '80's, though Big Briar may have some type of support for the old Moogs

Once again, it is my opinion that this sounds far better than most of the other synths of its kind. If you are interseted in a fun, easy-to-program, handsome synth which emulates many of the keyboard lead and bass sounds of the '70's, I would HIGHLY recommend trying to get one. They are pricey, though for a reason. Aside from my Gleeman, this is my favorite synth (the Virus and Q are equally awesome, though in a different way; I reviewed these too). If mine were stolen, I would immediately get on ebay and find another one. If I had my way (which I don't, so it really is a mute point), I wish it had the following: sync-able oscillators, PWM, S&H. Most my other keyboards are listed above. I also habe Korg Trinity 88-key Pro-X. Despite the mini's dark side, it whole-heartedly gets a 10

As easy as it gets for the bas(s)ic stuff, and to know in theory what everything does is also easy. But it's tricky to know just exactly what it will sound like as you twist those knobs, at least when you get into fm. It's easy to forget flipping a switch now and then and wonder why there is no sound tho. Manual is great and it is downloadable from all over the web. Doubt if you really need one, altho the servicemanual is handy.

Some very cool features of this synth are found on tha backside. It has inputs for amplifier, oscillator and filter -great for interacting with analog sequencers, controller devices (pedals, ribboncontrollers, my paia TMax etc), modular synths and other instruments. Having cv/gate outs would be a nice add-on tho, and i wouldn't mind even more 'modularity'.

The sound of this thing kicks ass -you better believe the hype because it's true! And thanks to those inputs on the back you can get extremly expressive using for example a windconroller instead of the keyboard.

It's old and if you haven't had it serviced it might break on you -but I've been told it's pretty easy to repair it would it fail you.

Moog is out of business. But there are quite a lot of people out there who know their moogs.

Just having a mini makes me smile when I think about it, but I don't think I could afford another -I really like this synth so I am very careful with it (no gigs). I would value a system IIIC more tho, therefore the 9.

One of the easiest synths to use, it's very easy to get a good sound out of it and with a panel full of knobs and switches you can get the sound you want 100x faster than you can with an LCD and a pair of up/down buttons. All knobs and the signal path is laid out from left to right, like reading a book.

Presets? HAHAHAHAHA - Tweak it like a REAL man.

OK, the Minimoog entered production in 1970; before MIDI, before built-in effects, before memory cards, before this, before that so yeah it's short on the features but it's BIG on the sound.

Let's read the control panel from left to right.

CONTROLLERS contains TUNE, GLIDE, and MODULATION MIX. TUNE is self explanatory. MODULATION MIX lets you vary the combination of VCO3 and noise that get routed to the mod wheel. The mod wheel can be applied to the VCO by turning on OSCILLATOR MODULATION and to the VCF by turning on FILTER MODULATION. There is no provision for modulating the VCA for tremolo effects. GLIDE varies the transition between two notes from instantaneous to around six seconds and can be disabled with the switches above the pitch/mod wheels. The Minimoog glide is a BIG part of its sound and is quite unique, nothing has ever matched it. It's one of the attributes that puts the Minimoog in a class of its own and is why it is still sought after long after its discontinuation in 1981.

OSCILLATOR BANK contains three VCOs with octave ranges of LO, 32', 16', 8', 4', and 2'. Each has six waveforms, triangle, rising ramp, triangle/mix composite (VCOs 1 & 2 only), falling ramp (VCO 3 only), and three different flavor of fixed pulse waves. VCO #3 can be used as an LFO by turning off OSC 3 CONTROL and putting it in LO range. You lose a VCO for audio but one Minimoog VCO sounds so huge on its own that two are enough. I only use three VCOs for bass FX or for sounds using VCOs at non-octave intervals (IE 16' 8' 5-1/3' settings in organ footages). 95% of bass patches sound fine with two VCOs and most lead work sound better with one VCO. There is no sync (wasn't invented yet) but it can be added.

I really like having a mixer in a synth, it's far better than a balance control because you can control whether you want to overdrive the filter. It's a five input mixer, three for the VCOs, one white/pink noise source (which sounds really good), and one external input. Many people use this external input to process drums and samples with the filter, and there's also the old "feedback" trick where you route the low level output back into the external input for extra grunge and cream.

The filter is one of the best in the business, this is the industry standard filter that all others are compared to. The resonance (AKA emphasis) of the Minimoog filter is quite variable and gets a lot of color to the sound. It's hard to get a good sounding filter, most synths sound squelchy or raspy when you add some resonance and they don't sound as "musical" as the Minimoog. If you crank the mixer levels to 10 you will get a pleasant overdrive from the filter. This isn't always desirable, I use this effect in moderation and most of the time I run the mix levels at six and below, it sounds smoother to my ears. Since one Minimoog will sound different from another one, YMMV. One cool sound is to modulate a near-resonant filter with an audio range LFO, which VCO #3 can do.

The Minimoog VCF has non-linear resonance, IE if you turn off the VCOs and crank the emphasis, the filter will self-oscillate and generate its own sine wave but as you sweep it in the low range, the oscillation dies off. This can be a "fault" or a "feature" depending on how you look at it. Almost every other synth features a "correct" filter that self-oscillates across the whole range. Consider that most Minimoog bass sounds use an envelope to spike the filter. As the envelope decays toward zero, the filter's resonance decreases in the lower range. This is what defines the "Minimoog Bass" and explains why all the other synths don't produce that "Minimoog bass sound".

Also consider that Moog Music attempted to "correct" this fault in the Micromoog and the Multimoog, but the sound suffered as a result. Those synths don't sound like a Minimoog.

The EGs (modifiers) are ADS with rel

The keyboard has no aftertouch and no velocity sensing, but the wheels and glide do a good job to add expression. The Minimoog is best at its signature sounds and sound FX, you can imitate some acoustic instruments but the Minimoog is so much its own instrument that imitative synthesis is pointless.

For bass, it's unbeatable. When I want to do a lead line or double a guitar, I reach for the Minimoog. For some reason the sound of a Minimoog lead cuts through the mix and blends with guitars really well. The Minimoog does some OK sound FX with the VCOs in LO range, with the noise source, and with the filter self-oscillating and combinations of modulation, but there are many synths out there that do better sound FX.

The sound of the Minimoog is unbeatable, don't even bother wasting your time trying to sample it. Something gets lost in the digital translation. The Minimoog has this GROWL in bass and lead sounds that has yet to be duplicated in any synth built in the last thirty years. I have a Moog Source and Memorymoog that does good Minimoog sounds, but they don't GROWL like the Mini. That's why I'm hanging onto mine. Nothing else sounds like it.

When I first got mine, it would not stay in tune. I did a lot of hot-rodding to the circuit boards and now they stay in tune really really well, even on a hot stage.

The later boards are a better design and they stay in tune better, but they don't sound as fat as the earlier boards. There were three oscillator boards throughout the Minimoog production cycle. The first 200 had a 100% discrete design with no ICs, but they had the worst tuning stability. These were superceded with a 3046-based design with a few opamps in the CV summing circuitry; these are the most common. This is the board I have. From serial #10175 and up the oscillator boards used a uA726 heated matched transistor pair that gets the best stability but that part is very hard to find today if it breaks. Whether the 726 or the 3046 board sounds better is a subject of hot debate and is best left to the individual's preference.

It is not uncommon to find an early Minimoog with a later oscillator board, since they were 99% plug-in compatible.

I gigged with mine as recent as 1997, and with the rising value of Minimoogs today it stays home now.

Moog Music is long gone but many techs can still service Minimoogs. They're not hard to work on.

With the exception of the hard-to-find uA726 on the later oscillator boards, every component is fairly easy to find, no custom ICs, no weird parts, etc.

I've owned several Moog synths and decided to get a Minimoog to see what all the fuss was about. I found this one in 1993 just when the vintage synth craze was blossoming. I paid a little more at the time, but I got one of the first 100 Minimoogs from the original Moog factory in Trumansburg NY. It's a piece of synth history. It has these cool clear plexiglass pitch/mod wheels and a big "R.A. Moog" badge, the original name of the company. At the time I had no idea of the significance of "R.A. Moog" or of this synth. I've seen a few later Minimoogs, but the walnut finish on mine just looks a lot nicer.

There's no way I could replace this synth today if I lost it, the ones that are left are in the tight grips of collectors. When I heard that these early Minimoogs can trade for $3500, I stopped taking it out to clubs. Today I use an Alesis Andromeda/A6 in its place and it does a VERY good Moog impersonation.

I've even added a MIDI interface from Big Briar, Bob Moog's current company. He's at http://www.bigbriar.com/ and his LMC Minimoog MIDI interface is far better than outboard MIDI->CV boxes. Big Briar can install it for you or sell it as a kit if you want to tackle the job yourself. The LMC was designed especially for the Minimoog and has some really superior features. One problem with external MIDI-CV boxes is that you have to use the rear panel oscillator CV input; you can't use glide and you have to periodically press the Minimoog's low F because of S&H droop in the keyboard circuitry. The LMC doesn't suffer from the droop problem and you can use glide with MIDI signals - the only one that does this. The LMC also adds an onboard LFO that is almost a duplicate of VCO #3 so you can use VCO #3 for audio. You can route MIDI velocity to volume and/or the filter which is WAY cool. Too many other features to list here, go check out the Big Briar website.

I had a Memorymoog, Moog Source, Micromoog, Liberation, and Polymoog before I acquired the Minimoog, and the hype is true. Nothing sounds like a Minimoog. I can get close with the Memorymoog and the Source, but nothing gets the GROWL of a Mini. I've been playing club gigs for over twenty years now and I'm up to fourteen keyboards, and the Minimoog is the crown jewel in my arsenal.

Pretty self explanatory. not hard to figure out.

its really limited on features, i found that there are a lot of the same features on the MG-1. which is kinda sad.

some really sweet sounds..

its hard to rely on analog, it goes out of tune constantly.. other than that .. yeah

none

They're cool .. but not THAT cool. go for a Korg MS-20 if you want COOL.

Its very easy to use, i mean everybody could handle one of this babys.

Well the modulation is very good, the filter also. The mod wheel is ok the oscillator is great especially the control of the waveshapes the octave and so on. I mean it has a little of variety but you can build a lot and different types of sounds never heard before.

The micromoog is used specially in the world of electronica. LEt me tell you that the sounds are killers. Especially if you're into experimenting, you can do it with this baby i mean the sounds that the micromoog can do are unique. Is if like you where hearing the soundtrack of space oddyssey 2001 the sounds are so organic so resonant so strange but good.

I had mine over 3 or four months and untill today it hasn't givenme any problems at all.

This baby is one of my favorite instruments the sounds are very awesome and it helps me a lot with my music (electronica) its perfect for me and the music that i make and of course its a Moog! so its perfect!

Nice big knobs. Has a nice feel.

The keyboard on a Mini feels great. It doesn't feel cheap and plastic-y.

I've gotten blowjobs on many occasions.

Kind of moody just like the way it sounds. Needs to be pampered. Treat it like a pretty girl.

HA

Too bad these things are so over priced. I've seen them on ebay lately for like $2300. They really aren't worth that much. People are just going insane with how much they are paying for things these days. In a realistic world, Mini's are probably worth about 500 bucks but they go for 5 times that much sometimes. I remember for a while they were like 12 or 1300. Then about a couple months ago they jumped to like 2500. People must be stoned or there must be a lot of people with money to blow on analog gear. I wish it had more flexible mod routings and sample and hold. It's probably the most musical sounding and soulful instrument ever made. For the best examples of it's sound don't listen to all that ELP and Yes crap. Keith Emerson had no tone. He should have stuck to playing the piano. Listen to Jan Hammer with the Mahavishnu Orchestra on Birds of Fire and The Lost Trident Sessions. Also check out Manfred Mann's Earth Band- The Roaring Silence and Kit Watkins from Happy the Man and a German band called SFF. Those four bands are the only ones who really mastered the Minimoog.

Great! Easy to use. Even without basuic experience with synthesis
new users will quickly learn what is what and how it affects the overal sound.

No polyphony. One big fat voice. Actually three if you count each oscillator.
But these all are synced. The Minimoog had many versatile features allowing
not just for music but fo sound effects. Wind, static were the two most obvious.
Simple noise generator stuff. But you could feedback the LFO, etc.
I used to get all sorts of nasty echoey stuff that probably made my Dad
regret I was a musician in the first place!
One funny thing about the synth was it had a pedal input with what appeared to be a 1/4 inch'
standard jack. It was in fact just slightly smaller. My assumption has always been that
this was to get users to buy the MOOG pedal and not others.

No midi or sequencing. Just big fat monophonic heaven.

Loads of different combinations between oscillators with different
waveforms on each of them at a time. Plus adding the noise generator
made this a very versatile synth in most respects. Horns weren't necessarily
one of the categories it shined in but it came up with lots of other
sounds. Listen to any ELP or Steely Dan to get an idea. Heck most of the
ssynth solos on Steely Dan albums were Minimoogs. In the users manual they and ELP
were used as example setups for the user.
Good reaction too. Very expressive instrument. And it put out generally clean sound
as well.

Although I have heard about its instability, especially in the tuning
area, I have to say that this may be a problem that can be easily repaired.
In my case the portamento would come "unhitched" causing a pitch I had
played on the key board to fluctuate, at first not too often but then it increased
and would slide out of control sometimes. I took to the boy at Bozo-tronics in
Seattle, Washington. They immediately found the problem. In fact the guy said he probably knew
what it was from my description - a leaky FET box. Sure enough he fixed it and it was always stable
after that. Just like a car, get a tune up. It may be worth a lot more than you think.

Moog was sold to Norlin by the time I got my Minimoog. Then they went out of
business. I have read recent interviews with Bob Moog and he states he is in the
process of getting the company name back. Also, I have heard new Minimoogs are being
or will be made.

In short, when I owned one, there was only support from the Bozo-tronics people.
They were great, but I never dealt with the company.
I am rating this down the middle since Moog was not available but the private
repair shop I mentioned above was great. This was in the 80's however and I do not know
if Bozo-tronics is still a functioning repair shop.

I sold my Minimoog in 1987-88(?). I thought getting plane fare to see
a girlfriend in another state was worth letting it go for consignment for $150.00
Aaaahhhhhh! Where was my Minimoogs Anonymous support partner when
I needed them? What a cruel act! I have salivated for one ever since.

BUT.. I do feel they are a LITTLE overrated. Prices for these buggers
are a tad too high. And I think the other Moog synths - Memoreymoog,
Micromoog and Multimoog are just as good a synth.

I also currently own a great quirky ARP Omni II. I got it for $20.00!
They thought it did not work. Wrong! :)

No software, no presets - Just switch it on, play and turn the knobs. It's easy to use and being adventurous can give amazing surprises... Knowing the basics of analogue subtractive synthesis can help if you're after a particular sound....

Monophonic. The light action takes a bit of getting used to but it's very playable... No midi, although there are various mods available... this board should be judged as a unique instrument - polyphony and bells and whistles are not what it's about

The king of analogue expression.... The minimoog has a soul!

Tuning tends to drift a lot and I occasionally need to thump the side to make the modulation section work properly... I wouldn't take it out on a gig, not only because it's unreliable in this sense, but also because I couldn't bear to have it damaged...

The company died years ago....

Worth what I spent, although it was a lot! I've been using it for a couple of years now and it inspires me continuously... Although I have other keyboards amd racks, there's always a track for my moog in a song... it simply sounds good in any mix!

Tip for Minimoog owners - Patch the headphone output into the external input and listen to what happens!!! Great crazy overdrive harmonics!

Just tweak away! easy to use no manual necessary everything is well graded on the panel...only thing is watch out the knobs settings are sensitive..just tweaking a bit will dramatically alter the sound.Just let it warm up before playing

monophonic 3 octave keyboard..glide,3 oscillators with multiple waveforms(3rd can be be set to lfo),noise generator(white and pink),an external input for processing sounds through vcf and env(sweeeet!!!)and a mixer section for all those.Then followed by the classic moog 24db ladder filter and two enveloppes(one for filter and one for vca).pitch wheel and modulation wheel(just wish that pitch wheel had the elastic to bring it back to zero when let go,but still nice). no midi but heard many kits available will work with this one.

Do not try and emulate any real instrument with this it's not made for that.This thing looks basic and unversatile but it's alive!!!the oscillators are as fat as people claim them to be,even when using just 1or2..basses and leads are a given,but you can get some strange sounds from it no crazy bleeps and bloops mind you but the modulation wheel works in interesting ways and the oscillators can be tweaked to produce nice drones...the sound is where this machine beats a lot of othr ones hands down,try using it with tape echo and long envelope settings(beautiful sounds)or any effect this is where you can make it more versatile.Can be used in any type of music just molest it to your style.

ok they are starting to get long in the tooth...and some people say that the drifting tuning is a problem...always let it warm up a good 15 minutes and usually it is not so bad...if you're not the original owner spending a few bucks to get it calibrated is worth it..but otherwise built solidly... i don't have a backup i paid a lot for mine and could not afford 2 of them unless i find one for cheap(becoming less and less feasible..but be spontaneous if i had to lug around 2 of everything i have i would go crazy...if you depend on this live i would suggest to have a small bass synth(realistic mg-1,novation bass station)in case that way you can stil feel safe.

Original moog went bust long time ago...i've not had to deal with any customer support but there are a few options available for people who want they're moogs fixed,spruced up or just a new one.Moog music in cincinatti states they offer brand new mini's and modulars but i have heard many a negative story about this particular co.(never dealt with them though)recently website seems to be down...moog custom engineering in buffalo this is the old moog factory(back when norlin owned moog)so these guys are building modular moogs and state they will also service your old moogs if problematic.There is also a midimoog available from a moog(uk)either rackmount or keyborded but is quite pricy but if you are willing to why not?? you can still get your synth serviced from some other places on the net look into synthfool and al. and you can get schematics and info on repair

This is a great synth ,but they are getting expensive and have to ask yourself if you really need a completly monophonic anaolg beast like this in your setup many a synth available today wich emulates or is still analog so shop around you might find thesounds your looking for on the cheap...but if you know this is the one for you then by all means get one anyway you can

Just turn it on, tweak the knobs and play. There are no patch memories, and you have to tune it regularly. Otherwise it is very easy to operate. The knobs are big and they move smoothly.

Minimoog is an analog monophonic synth. The keyboard has three octaves. No MIDI, but it is quite easy to add afterwards with a MIDI-2-CV converter. The Minimoog has three oscillators with a few waveforms, a noise generator, a great VCF, a VCA and two ADS-envelopes. The third oscillator can be used as an LFO too.

The specifications were nothing special. But when you hear the sound you understand why it's a classic. The sound is warm, fat and .... just perfect. Of course you can't get acoustic emulations from the Mini, but the synths basses and leads are great. The secret of the sound is the Moog ladder filter, fast envelopes and living oscillators. I really can't imagine how to improve the sound.

There are constant tuning problems. But what is important, when it breaks there are only just few transistors which are difficult to find. No custom ICs, mostly standard components which are still manufactured.

The Minimoog is perfect for synth basses and leads. It's a classic, and the ONLY synth I can't live without. I would buy it again and again and...