I’m completely new to the world of Moog - never even played one before. It looks really interesting though, and I’d like to get into it. Can y’all recommend places for me to learn the basics? Are there any books (or good websites) written on the subject?
I’d like to get my hands on a used Moog of some sort - any advice on what type to buy? Also, I know you can play a Moog by means of the attached keyboard. Is it possible to connect another instrument and play it through that? I not very proficient with a keyboard, but I can play the guitar.
Also, what type of speakers does one generally connect a Moog up to?
Have you worked with any analogue synthesizers before? If not maybe you should buy a more easy to use sizer… one that is a bit more reliable and that has MIDI. Maybe an virtual analog synthesizer like Clavia NordLead, Access Virus or Alesis Ion.
If you want a moog then Moog Prodigy, Moog Micromoog/Multimoog is a good start. If you got the money then I recommend a Minimoog Voyager. It is reliable, has MIDI and memories.
I’m not really sure - something that can make a variety of sounds. Ideally I’d like to become proficient enough to use it in a rock band. The sound samples on the Moog website for the Voyager are pretty cool. Also, do you have any idea about one that you could control with a guitar?
I’m looking at the Clavia now and it seems pretty cool as well. I’m open to any possibilities - I’d like something that’s relatively easy to use and fun.
If I was you I would start with a virtual analogue synthesizer. It is much more reliable especially if you are gigging a lot and it has memories. Another thing with moog sizers and other early analogue sizers is that they are monophonic (unless you buy a Memorymoog or polymoog). You can only play one note at a time (no 80’s power rock chords) , no nice strings and stuff.
I reckon the Prodigy stands head and shoulders above all the other “cheap” Moogs as a starter synth. It may cost a tad more than a Rogue or the simply strange MG-1, but the build quality is great, they seem to last forever and they have the logical Minimoog layout. You’ll also find that the added cost over lesser synths will be worth it come resale time.
It seems that the designers took all the most used features of the Mini, and incorporated them into a simpler unit, and it just WORKS.
Avoid the Satellite, as it’s just a preset machine built by Thomas Organs, even though the Moog sound is recognisable, you’ll learn nothing about subtractive synthesis and you’ll get bored…
A ‘voice’ is simply a tone colour or timbre, eg a piano sound, a string sound or a brass sound.
A 1-voice synth can play only one sound at a time.
A 2-voice synth can play up to two.. etc.
An 8 voice synth can play up to eight…
Not to be confused with a polyphonic synth which can play many notes at the same time, but may only be able to play one voice.
The simpler Moogs are all monophonic, so they can play only one note at a time. This makes them great for solos or bass lines, but as Demokid succinctly puts it, they’re no good for power chords or any other type of chord for that matter. The only possible exception to this is that the certain Moogs have 2 or more tone generators (oscillators) which can be tuned to a fixed interval apart… but we’re not talking very useful here! They also lack any memories, so you are well advised to make up a few copies of a ‘dopesheet’ which is a diagram of the control panel of the synth, and mark the positions of switches and knobs if you create a sound you like and want to recreate at some point.
The Clavia Nord Lead 2 is a great little synth which can make some great ‘Moogy’ sounds, has MIDI and memories!
If you are a guitarist, then a few of the early instruments have a jack input which enables a signal from a mic or guitar to be modified by the Filter. To control the pitch of an analogue synth fom a guitar, you need some kind of pitch to ‘CV’ (control voltage) converter, as it is the voltage across the synth’s keyboard (usually 1 volt per octave) which controls the pitch of the audio output from the synth… Bear in mind that once you’ve sorted that out, the synth will only play one note at once, so guitar solos have to be chordless!
Seeking out an early Roland Guitar Synth may be a better option for you. These have a controller in the form of a decent Ibanez guitar instead of a keyboard!
GregAE linked a really great book for getting started. I bought it and highly recommend! Its called Power Tools for Synthesizer Programming. The author is Jim Akin. They did’nt have it at any bookstores around here (B&N, Borders, etc). I picked it up off of Amazon. Really great book though. Includes a CD too.
i went to the music store today and tried out a korg vocoder/synth
i also tried out a roland gr-33 i think it was called, a guitar synth - they were both really cool! expensive though, so im either gonna have to dip into my summer savings or buy a used one.
That’s not a bad little synth, although the inbuilt vocoder is a little ‘thin’ sounding. That may be in part due to the little microphone which can’t possibly be that good. In fact the entire machine is noticeably thinner sounding than a moog (with the possible exception of the micromoog or Satellite) but includes a fun arpeggiator and sequencer.
It’s of limited value if you want to learn how to use a traditional analogue machine, as those retro looking controls actually operate digital circuitry. The Nord Leads do this too, but they imitate the analogue functions a bit more faithfully. The retro idea is a bit contrived. The control knobs are borrowed from a minimoog, and they sit uneasily on the synth’s contemporary exterior- a bit of an own goal for styling! The mini keys are the final nail in the coffin. In practice they work reasonably well, but they are of the most basic construction that you can imagine with no real fulcrums, just bendy plastic hinges. It’s better to operate it from a remote MIDI keyboard.
yeah it was the microkorg. i think it was around 300something dollars. the microphone they had attached to it was really small - it looked like a computer mic. could you replace it with a real one? also, what else would you consider to be better alternatives to it?
they just had one sitting out in the showroom. i played around with it for a while, it was pretty cool.
oh and also, do yall know much about the roland gr-33? i played with one of those as well, and i am wondering if i should think about getting one. is the gr-33 better than the gr-20? also, would it be a better idea to gi-20 gk-midi interface for the guitar and then just hook it up to a different synthesizer, like in a rack mount? or would it be easier to use a floor-based solution…
The microKORG is an awesome little synth. It definately can’t be mistaken for a MOOG, but I think it sounds really good for a “virtual analog” synth. I wish it had at least 6-part polyphony, but what do you want for $350?
The vocoder is crap, the keys are too small for my fingers, and the editing grid is tedious, but it’s so small you can take it anywhere and it will run off batteries. Can you say FUN?!?
Maybe a used Korg MS2000 might be something… It has a 16 band vocoder, normal size keys (44 keys), step fun little sequencer and good modulation routings. Only four voices thought.
I think this is what Mark Dwane uses. There’s a picture of him with his Ibanez MIDI guitar in the “Pictures” section. I don’t know what it’s hooked up to, though – if the guitar outputs a MIDI signal, it could be anything. (Plug: Definitely check out his work! He weaves gorgeous soundcapes using only multi-tracked MIDI guitar – except for percussion.)
Pat Metheny, on his Imaginary Day CD, used a Roland VG-8 guitar synth.
, no nice strings and stuff.