I am considering buying a micromoog for $195 but he says that the “octaves don’t play in tune”. I am new to these sweet machines, just getting into it. But how can this problem be fixed and how cheaply? Is it worth the bucks? I’ve seen it go on ebay from $400-500 or so. Thanks,
-jordan
That’s easy to fix, the SCALE trimpot is off. The trimpots are accessable through holes in the rear panel, you don’t even have to pop the hood. It won’t be much work for a tech to fix. That’s a great price for a Micro.
Yeah, but I’d say there might be a problem with a component somewhere. I’ve had this problem before, even after trying to tune it with the trimpots.
But hell, $195 is worth it. You can re-build it from there if you need to and it’s always a fun project.
It’s impossible to say what the problem is unless inspected by a tech or someone that knows the units well. If it is otherwise working correctly, it could be as simple as a recalibration. However, trimpots in Micros and Multimoogs can become very loose over time. Power supply issues, temperature stabilization circuits and other sources of tuning errors are also possible. If the power supply is not at the correct voltage for example, scaling will be off. If someone spilled a pepsi inside, it could do the same thing. So, there’s no way to tell you without seeing the unit.
If you know a tech, I’d recommend first checking the accessory jacks to see if the power is correct. This eliminates opening the unit just to check. Then retune it per the service manual instructions. If it won’t scale or won’t hold its scaling very long, it needs servicing.