Hi, I am new in this forum and I’ve got a problem: I can’t center the pitch bend on my Minimoog model D…
I think the best way to explain you my problem is to make a comparison: in the Memorymoog when you spin the pitch bend to the center, it gets “stuck” in the center, like in other keyboards (I have a M-Audio midi keyboard and it does the same thing). This doesn’t happen in the minimoog, what can I do ?
Minimoog s.n. is 2xxx
Have a nice day 
Hello Ceison and welcome.
The Minimoog D is supposed to have a mechanical notch in the center position to “lock it” in place. This is adjustable to provide a firmer or gentler feel. However, the wheel is not spring loaded like modern keyboards and will not come back to the center position by itself. Only the notch keeps it relatively in the center.
To adjust the notch pressure, simply remove the two top front screws of the mod wheels assembly, and gently lift and pull out the assembly. Gently turn it upside down and you will see a metallic tab with a little white plastic dome at on end, rubbing against the side of the pitch bend wheel. At the other end, there is a bolt and a nut holding the metallic tab to the frame. You can loosen the nut and unscrew, or screw, the bolt to put more, or less pressure on the wheel.
Hope this helps.
Here’s a picture of the underside of the mod wheel assembly. The metallic tab is visible on the top right end of the pic.
(don’t worry if your assembly doesn’t have the small circuit board on the left. This is only a modification to standard Minimoog D)
Hey, thank you very much, it worked!!
Now I’ve got another problem: I’ve removed the keyboard to clean every single key, but after reassembling it some keys started to sound weird sometimes… Here’s a video that explains the problem http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVKVbnEqWhQ&feature=youtu.be
What can I do to fix this issue?
Typical behavior of dirty/oxidized/corroded, or incorrectly set contact coil springs and/or buss bar of the keybed of a Minimoog D.
You have to make sure your buss bars are as straight as possible (the long golden rods), and that the first coil spring (pitch selection) for each note touches the bar just before the second coil spring (gate signal) touches the second bar.
My Minimoog was behaving exactly like that when I bought it. And even after a thorough cleaning and careful adjustments, some notes were still “flaky” because the buss bars and some springs were too badly oxidized/corroded (the gold plating is very very thin, and can still become oxidized with time even if gold can’t be. The metal underneath can.).
After a while, I had enough and replaced the whole keyboard spring contacts with Kevin Lightner’s Opto-Key system (an infrared optical contact system). Now I’ll never, ever have to worry about a wailing Minimoog.
You can retry to clean the contacts, and re-adjust carefully the positions of buss bars and coil springs. It takes patience and precision.
Have fun.
Here’s a before and after video of my Minimoog with Opto-Key.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Lz_czsDFjI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WP_Rb-Gi30o
Hi, after playing for some hours the “unpitched” keys started to work smoothly again.
Thank you very much!! 
You’re welcome.
As with other intermittent electromechanical contacts, sometimes the simple action of moving a knob, or in this case playing the keys, will make internal parts rub against each other and take away a little more dirt or oxidizing.
Glad you can enjoy a “wailing free” keyboard action.