I am very interested in these two moogs and want to know more about them.
Are there any Satellite owners here?
Are there any Minitmoog owners here?
Has anyone ever Played them?
i’m sure the others can tell you more, but those 2 moogs are extremes opposites. the minimoog is the LORD of the moogs(3 oscillators, fat goodness)… and the satellite is (a thinner/cheaper/est? 1 oscillator) bottom-end moog.
I believe he said the MINITmoog and the Satellite.
www.vintagesynth.com/moog/minitmoog.shtml
They are both preset synths. I’ve never played one, but from what I’ve heard your money would probably be best placed elsewhere. Major lack of programability…
They look cool though! 
The least desirables of the Moog line.
The Satellite was a lame response to the ARP ProSoloist - preset only, next to no variation in the sound, non-proper 12dB ladder filter (unlike standard 24dB filter in Minimoog and every other Moog synth), single oscillator, single waveform, no external CV interfacing, cheesy at best. Built into many Thomas organs at an absurd royalty because of the Moog hype of the early 70s, and built into some Cordovox organs (the infamous “white elephant”).
The Minitmoog was an upgraded Satellite with a 2nd oscillator and aftertouch added, but was in production for only one year, 1975-6. The 2nd oscillator does not add much to the sound and the aftertouch element had a premature failure resulting from chemical interaction of the components (Moog offered a field repair kit back then, but none exist today).
Both were Bob Moog designs, although he didn’t care to be enamored with them. During those days he had little control over operations at Moog.
I had no problems in selling my Satellite. Wouldn´t sell any other Moog, but the Satellite was really cheesy. All the resistors inside (some kind of paper wrapped around them ?) gave up, one after the other. The switches were lousy, very prone to break and the slider caps were broken, too.
Forget about the thing.
A Minitmoog may be a collector´s item, though (at best), although from time to time some appear at ebay.
The Satellite was the first synthesizer I ever saw in real life. My Great Aunt Ardys worked at Werlein’s in New Orleans, and they had one in the Organ department… Just hearing synthesizer in real life (as opposed to the Kraftwerk and Todd R. albums we had) blew my little 10 year old mind. I finally got a synth 7 years later, in 1980 (a Korg MS-20 I still have) and am still on the synth journey: now using modular gear, a Signature Voyage (and theremin), etc… Aunt Ardys and Werlein’s: R.I.P.
-andrew bunny.
I had an Moog Satallite. And I have to confess, this is the one and only Moog I ever sold. It was sounding way more cheesy then other preset synths from that time.
I wouldn’t waste my time with a Satellite, but a good working Minitmoog can be a joy.
In my opinion, the 2nd oscillator is very noticeable and makes it sound like a considerably better synth. The aftertouch, after being repaired, is fantastic.
Unfortunately, these things weren’t built well for service and most aftertouch sensors don’t work any longer. But I remain… working well, this is a really fun and expressive player’s synth. Not great for sound effects, but excellent for lead lines.
you’re right, didn’t catch that. i sort of forgot about the minitmoog. I’m sure Bob would’ve wanted it that way