Think it is great that Moog is doing an artist version of a minimoog.
I like the color. Case candy is cool.
But wondering how they made the decision of Geddy to be the first artist chosen. When I think of Minimoog users, he would not be in my top 10 list.
Just strikes me as a curious choice.
Anyone else have any thoughts on this?
Not sure 
why he was chosen. I would have thought maybe Rick Wakeman or Jan Hammer or others . There are a lot of
Great Minimoog players.
Several reasons for selecting Geddy:
Anyway I have been considering getting a minimoog reissue but for sure now I am all in…..just wish I could buy direct from Moog and pick up in Asheville directly….hate having to buy from Reverb (seems wrong).
didn’t he have some unique mods done to his model D?
the other guys all played stock units I think
I think Geddy Lee had the VCA modified. Not 100 percent certain. That’s why the GL Minimoog has the hot rodded VCA. Also GL painted his Minimoog red .
something extra with the dedicated LFO too
Most likely there was an added dedicated LFO. And there is an dedicated LFO on all Minimoog Reissues.
Doing a Rick Wakemann, Manfred Mann or other famous Minimoog musician series would not be in this so visible different colour as the Geddy Lee one.
I mean on this Geddy RI, they did something extra with the dedicated LFO
Are you sure? I feel the announcement actually mentions the points being new with respect to the vintage models.
The LFO seems to be identical to the one on 2016 and 2022 reissues.
I think you’re right: I read this & assumed it was all extra features beyond what the standard reissue has, as mine doesn’t have a spring loaded pitch wheel either. But all post 2022 RI’s have a spring loaded pitch wheel, correct?
“In addition to Geddy’s signature red finish, this model of the Minimoog offers a hot-rodded VCA circuit, dedicated LFO controls, top panel CV jacks, spring loaded pitch wheel and MIDI integration.”
I paused the vid & the top panel CV jacks appear identical to the standard RI too
Exactly, I’ve checked too 
I think only the VCA is new, while spring pitch wheel and MIDI integration are the same as on the 2022 reissue and dedicated LFO control and rear panel are the same as on the 2016 one.
I discovered this way two MIDI improvements of the 2022 reissue over the 2016 one:
There may be others.
ah, very interesting. Is any of that in the manual? Or are they still using the 2016 user manual?
If I got one of these, I’d be tempted to stick a Ferrari logo on it too.
Red Barchetta!
I actually struggled a tad more to find the 2016 manual online. The current links the MoogMusic website pages related to Geddy Lee and 2022 Mini reference the 2022 version.
A quick and partial comparison allowed me to find out those points.
ok thx!
Anyone know how the modified VCA impacts the sound?
EMEAPP.org did a forensic engineering study on the Minimoog VCAs (yes the Minimoog has two VCAs, the 2nd one was for external control from the rear panel jack). Turns out during its original manufacture 1970 to 1981, there were three circuit versions of the VCAs (Gen 1, Gen 2, Gen 3). The differences were the values of three resistors. They varied the input level and output gain of the VCAs, and their changes significantly impacted the harmonic distortion. This is independent of the distortion of the filter.
Back then, VCAs were not high fidelity or low distortion. The technology had not yet advanced where they were suitable for professional audio (IE recording consoles) but they were “good enough” for synthesizers. No one ever complained about dirty sounding VCAs in synthesizers, but the Minimoog VCAs were the “secret sauce” that eluded imitators. The VCF was often duplicated but not the VCA. Until recently, few people credited the VCAs for the “fat” sound of the Minimoog. Not only was the Minimoog VCA a “distortion processor”, the signal went through TWO of them!
The VCA is also the reason why early Oberheims sound so fat.
EMEAPP published an extensive engineering writeup (Ben Luce - son of Moog Music’s Dave Luce - headed the engineering study with Timothy Warneck and Moog veterans Tom Rhea and Jim Scott) but those papers are no longer on their website.
Complicating the operation is the three differential amplifiers that comprise both VCAs. It turns out that the last two stages impact the distortion of the 1st, and one circuit version (Gen 3) shows that control voltage (IE EG contour) impacts the distortion level of both VCAs. “Gen 2” was the “polite” version with the least distortion; it was a modification listed in the service manual, so it was a field modification and no one knows how many Minimoogs has the “Gen 2” VCA.
So which “Gen” is the “hot VCA” in the Geddy Lee model? It’s either “Gen 1” or “Gen 3”. “Gen 1” was in the first ~1000 Minimoogs and the distortion, unlike “Gen 3”, is independent of control voltage from the contour generator. That means regardless of EG level, the VCAs are crunching the signal constantly. “Gen 3” has the highest distortion (even driving the transistors into saturation) but the distortion is dynamic based on EG contour level.
Thanks for sharing all this, MC
Indeed, I’ve read somewhere the VCAs were less known than the VCF as a fatness factor.
I hope that will be possible to the 2016 ReIssue as well through updating the MODI firmware (if it works that way)
No. The mod wheels on the 2016 Reissue are not sending MIDI due to missing software function, but due to hardware not being able to do so. This is why I got the MUSE hardware from virtual-music.at to fix this and adding additional other features. Like a way better aftertouch as Modwheel function. And adds MIDI functionality (in and out) for the glide and decay switch. And use selectable pitchbend range (0 to 12 semitones in semitone steps). And you can set different channels for the MIDI in and out. And legato glide (fingered).
Indeed.
Unfortunately, the MUSE card is not made anymore. I woke up few weeks too late. Would love to trigger the mod with aftertouch!