Moog Taurus 2

The Taurus II probably isn't quite as easy to use as the Taurus I since it has more knobs and switches, though it's perhaps a bit more versatile in some respects in terms of fine-tuning sounds. Having said that, the Taurus I is lighter and takes up considerably less space, and there's something to be said for that.

The Taurus II control panel is basically the same as the Rogue, with similar capabilities; 2 VCOs (square and sawtooth), an octave-and-a-half set of pedals (an improvement over the Taurus I's one-octave setup), a pitchbending wheel, and other goodies. No MIDI, though it can be added. And it goes without saying that the Taurus II is monophonic, though that's not much of an issue when dealing with frequencies this low. Polyphony would just sound like mud anyway.

The Taurus II isn't as expressive as, say, a Minimoog (2 VCOs instead of 3), though that's not all that important when you're playing with your feet instead of your fingers. Obviously, it's not intended to be a lead instrument. To this day some prefer the tone and ease of use of the Taurus I, though it's really a matter of taste. It seems to react well to the touch, though if you're not used to playing with your feet it can take a bit of getting used to.

Very dependable. Synthesizer cabinets were built to last back in those days (steel and wood, rather than plastic), even when their parts sometimes weren't. I suppose it'd be possible to break it if you threw it down a flight of stairs, though I wouldn't bet on it. I'd have no worry about not having a backup.

Well, Moog doesn't exist any longer, of course, though the name has changed hands several times. So in a way the question is a bit academic. However, I recently ordered a new power supply from a gentleman named Mike Bucki (moog@moogce.com), who is somehow involved with one of the post-Moog Moog companies, so there's some degree of customer support available if you know where to look. In addition, anyone who's qualified to work on '70s-vintage synths should be able to fix a Taurus II without much problem.

If it was lost or stolen I'd like to think that I'd try to replace it, though I've had it for 11 years and have never used it onstage, so I can't honestly say that replacing it would be a big priority. I just think it's really cool to have, particularly since I was a big prog-rock fan when I was a teenager. It's not the same as the Taurus I that most of those bands actually used, but it's not exactly like Taurus Is are clogging up the corners of musical instrument shops around the world. Actually, one could say the same thing about Taurus IIs, for that matter. They seemed incredibly exotic when I was a teenager and I swore to myself back then that I'd buy one if I ever ran across one at a reasonable price. And that's one of the nice things about getting older: the expensive, exotic instruments of one's youth are oftentimes a lot more affordable ten or fifteen years later when they're obsolescent. The only two things I think could be better would be a) a third VCO, as with the Minimoog, and b) MIDI, though obviously this was designed in the pre-MIDI era and it can certainly be added easily enough. You really can't compare it to anything else. The only company that I know of that made a bass pedal synth other than Moog was Univox; not even ARP attempted to break into that market. If you want a fat bass sound to beef up a stage or recording, there aren't a lot of choices, even to this day. I've been playing bass for about 21 years and own 2 bass guitars (a '64 Fender Precision and a Rickenbacker 4001), a '50s Kay upright, a GK head and a Hartke 4-10 Transporter cab (plus a few guitars).

I haven't used this synth much yet but find it easy to figure out by experimentation. By playing with the controls and comparing the functions with that of my dx7 this unit is getting easier to use all the time. No presets, which is fine for us libertarians.

monophonic, analogue, 24db/oct filter. not bad. modulation wheel. many possiblities for normal sounds or that spaceship from the planet torlon.

With the 1.5 octave pedalboard, this isn't exactly something on which to play kieth emerson-type solos. But it is great for people who want some moog-like sounds without getting out the moldy money. I use mine almost exclusively for rock. The oscillators have thus far been pretty stable and easy to manipulate.

Don't know about this yet. I opened the unit up to look around and found someone had performed some "mods" so we'll see how it goes over time.

I've wanted a set of taurus pedals for a long time. Really wanter Taurus but because of their current lofty prices settled for the T2 that my cousin found. Even these things weren't exactly cheap. After having disassembled the unit to clean it up, it is evident that even in the early 80's Moog made some ok stuff. The sounds out of this unit are fine. But the unit itself is pretty stout. This was built when synths were made out of wood and metal. From what I've read it is quite reliable. And it isn't easy nowdays to get a good, quality, made in USA synth without financing. If these disappeared, I'd continue searching for an affordable set of Taurus pedals (fat chance!!) to replace the T2. BTW, does anybody know where to get an owner's manual or the text thereof?

It's an analog bass pedal synthesizer. It's not hard to use. It helps to know a little bit about analog synthesis to understand what all the knobs and switches do. There are no presets or patches--you dial in your own sounds, and they stay that way until you tweak. I don't have a manual for the Taurus II (good luck finding one!), but if it's anything like the Taurus I manual, it's probably pretty helpful.

No polyphony. Action on the unit took me some getting used to, having never played anything like this before. I guess I wear big shoes or something. :-) Controls on the thing are typical analog synth stuff, and these are also your effects. Unfortunately, there are not separate attack/decay controls for the VCA and the VCF, so your envelope options are pretty limited (this is BAD). Though it does have more options like wave shape, pitch and modulation wheels, pink noise generator, etc. It's got an 18-key pedalboard controller (another advantage over the Taurus I) and a synth brain (basically the same as the Moog Rogue), connected via a CV cable. I imagine you can hook either the synth or the controller to another synth/controller with CV, though I've never tried it. No MIDI unless you hack it it somehow.

It's a bass synth, and it works best in that context. It can get some pretty low bass tones, and some other interesting and novel sounds, but don't expect to get what you hear on a Rush or Genesis record. Contrary to D Bowers's review, not many bands used these--they used the original Taurus. For example, the "Tom Sawyer" sound is an Oberheim, triggered by a hacked Taurus I. The Taurus I has a better growl, and has more versatile envelope options. That's not to say that the Taurus 2 is bad--it's just not the same as the original.

I've never had any problems with this thing. This is one big advantage it has over the original Taurus.

You're on your own... But if you ask around, you can probably find a good synth repair person in town.

I bought this wanting a bass pedal synth, but unable to find an original Taurus in good condition, and in my price range. I use it to add rumbling bass to my basslines, or to drone bass notes while playing leads or counterpoint lines. Well, it was good enough for me a while, but I've moved on to greener pastures with a Taurus I. I really needed better envelope options, and a better growl. If I lost this thing, I'd be pissed at losing $650, but I wouldn't get another one. For the same amount of money, I could get something similar that's more robust and more versatile. I have my Taurus I for the "classic" sounds that the Taurus II doesn't quite deliver.

this is a simple analog synth, Bass pedals much like you would see on an organ. It comprises of the foot pedals 1 1/2 octave, and a controller unit. There are no presets, just tweak the knobs and play.
This unit is an upgrade of the original Tarus Pedals which were much the same, only packaged as a single unit which meant you had to bend over to the floor to adjust the sound. Original Tarus had only 1 octave keyboard. The Tarus II controller is attached to the floor unit by a mic stand, which allows the user easy access to the controller which may be adjusted to any height.

Tarus II is a mono analog synth, midi upgrade is availible for a price. Unit has the typical analog modules, vfo,vco,pitch control, decay,attack,sustain.,ect.

Fantastic sound! Best represented on the records by Genesis, Rush.
Extremely dramatic bass voice, also other analog sounds (Rush's Tom Sawyer a prime example.
Mostly used in rock music, although prevalent in movie scores. This unit, although not sought after as fervantly as the TARUS I, is considered a "vintage synth" in great demand. The sky is the limit as far as price you may have to pay to aquire a set.

Extremely dependable! Rumors of tunning problems are errant, (that was a problem with Tarus I) easy to use and setup. Although care must be taken in transport as foot pedals are made of a bakelite material which is fragile. A road case solves that problem.

The Moog Company has splintered into several manufacturers. This unit is from the early '80's so support is pretty much gone. There are guys in local synth repair that can handle any problems.
Midi upgrade was offered for a time, but is expensive.

I owned the Tarus I years ago and upgraded to the Tarus II when they were first released. I sold them during "lean times" and missed them ever since.
I recently scored a set of Tarus II which I believe to be FAR superior to the Tarus I. As a bass player, other than my guitar, there is no piece of equipment I rely on more, love more, demand more of, than TARUS II bass pedals. If you are a bass player, and do not have, or have never heard, Tarus pedals, you are not fully aware of the possibilities they offer. I cannot recommend ANY piece of equipment more enthusiastically!

sinch

This is a monophonic synth in two parts.
The taurus is a brain with foot pedals much like an organs.
the brain can be triggered by cv, keyboard or the foot pedals it comes with.
this is basically a rougue moog with some extra features, like a portable brain. ive heard it can be retro fitted with midi but mine isnt.
ist a bass wopper and ws used by the deconstrucionalist band Labradford as well as black sabbath.
one main cool feature is the audio in which can run any signal through it. so one can just use the filter

This is base synth with two oscillators and no presets. you just tweak and go

mine is good and ive never heard of a taurus slipping of pitch although any analog will given enough time.

this is a great synth for bass , back up or any one who is into live preformance. for studio work i like it but i recomoend getting both the keyboard and foot pedals to get the most versatility.