Hey guys’n’gals i was discussing over a few drinks ways friends “remember” patches before the preset digital age came in, and wondered what other people did.
Only Model D, Voyager OS & Vintage Synth user answers please 
Q:
How do you Remember Patches?
Depending on the complexity some are easy to create from memory. For others, or to be sure , pencil and patch sheet . Others have been known to put tape markers ( in different colors) next to the pots. I think some even came up with an overlay with thte pot settings.
pencil and photo copied patch sheets for more complex sounds. Or sounds that need to have a value set very precisely.
Come to think of it, today you could use your digital camera to take a 'snap shot" of the front panel settings. Then make prints, over view from your computer.
And you can use samplers or computer in favour of cassette decks to record those tape-interfaces found on those pre-Midi synths with patch memory.
FYI: The Minimoog Patch Book can be downloaded here:
http://www.oldschoolsound2.free.fr/manuels/MINIMOOG%20PATCH%20BOOK.pdf
The Voyager Old School User’s Manual contains blank patch sheets for documenting sounds. You can download the User’s Manual here:
http://www.moogmusic.com/voyager/?section=product&product_id=21108
Moog also plans to release an Old School Patch Book (similar to the Minimoog Patch Book).
A: Digital photography is your friend.
Perhaps one day, when MoogSpace is up and running, and the Moogler is up and running, they will develop an app for the Old School as well.
Hello,
For live use, I’ve seen the Mini D (and other synths) set up with a ‘home position’ patch (or the sound most often used in the music set).
The settings for that one patch was marked on the panel with grease pencil, or something similar, and all sounds used during the set were just variants, or elaborations on that marked ‘home’ tone.
Octave settings, filter cutoff, mixer levels were often changed, and you could still have a host of sounds without straying too far from ‘home’ position.
Studio use afforded more time for complete repatching of the tone.
Regards,
Lawrence
Hello,
For live use, I’ve seen the Mini D (and other synths) set up with a ‘home position’ patch (or the sound most often used in the music set).
The settings for that one patch was marked on the panel with grease pencil, or something similar, and all sounds used during the set were just variants, or elaborations on that marked ‘home’ tone.
Octave settings, filter cutoff, mixer levels were often changed, and you could still have a host of sounds without straying too far from ‘home’ position.
Studio use afforded more time for complete repatching of the tone.
Regards,
Lawrence
Hello,
For live use, I’ve seen the Mini D (and other synths) set up with a ‘home position’ patch (or the sound most often used in the music set).
The settings for that one patch was marked on the panel with grease pencil, or something similar, and all sounds used during the set were just variants, or elaborations on that marked ‘home’ tone.
Octave settings, filter cutoff, mixer levels were often changed, and you could still have a host of sounds without straying too far from ‘home’ position.
Studio use afforded more time for complete repatching of the tone.
Regards,
Lawrence
In answer to the heart of your question…
I used to used to make photo copies of a template that came out of the original Mini Moog Model D Owners Manual. All the knobs and stuff were there you just marked toggle switches on or off and filled in the pot values. But I found as time went on and I continued to create and share settings, I simply learned how the Mini Moog worked and didn’t need to refer to anything to be able to pull up any setting at any time. It’s like anything else; Once you work with something long enough and know it really well, you no longer need any pnumonic devices. You just ‘turn those knobs’.
Note: I ALWAYS started setting up a new patch starting from the left and working my way right. Credit where credit is due… Thank you, Doctor Robert Moog, for such a logical layout to the World’s Greatest Synthesizer.
“Muad’Dib no longer needs the wielding module…”