Has anyone any info on which type of MiniMoog oscilators W Carlos used on her modular synth back in the 70’s?
Apparently 3 Mini Moog Osc were housed behind 901b panels..but which?
the earlier or later MiniMoog version ones?
There were three basic styles of Mini osc board.
The original, single tempco style found only in the RA Moog Mini and perhaps some Musonics models.
The common three tempco style that most Minis have.
And the later uA726 equipped style provided as stock in Minis s/n 10175 and above.
I don’t know when Wendy had her module made, but it’s doubtful it was the last one listed above.
I have no idea which of the other two choices were used, but any of them probably tracked better than the original 901s she used.
Thanks kevin .. because the quote is about 1974 I guessed the osc are the original pre 10175..I have another post on this subject you may find interesting
I once asked Wendy about this but after all these years she couldn’t remember (she never followed the MiniMoog, much too limited in her opinion).
However, Wendy does mention in an old keyboard magazine (Dec '79 issue) that “they are the prototypes that later became the 921 oscillators, except that they are Minimoog oscillators” which makes me believe they were of the earliest type used in the RA Moog Mini or Musonics models.
Now, seeing as the 921 appeared in 1972-73 it’s likely the MM oscillators were of the type in use prior to that. I’m just speculating of course 
The original minimoog all discrete oscillator board was designed in 1969-70 and installed in the first 300 minimoogs, all RAs and early Musonics. By serial #1300 the 3046-based oscillator board replaced the all discrete board. This would be around 1972, the same time the 921s appeared.
The final ua726-based oscillator board didn’t appear until 1978-79 at serial #10175.
In all likeliehood, Carlos’ oscillators are the 3046 design. It’s definitely a huge improvement over the 901s originally installed in the system.
According to the Keyboard interview I mentioned above Wendy used to use them (the Minimoog oscillators) to control vibrato rates and do some degree of additive synthesis with them. I’m not sure when she had the 921’s installed–I haven’t managed to find any pics of her modular from the mid '70s–but I’d guess around '72 or '73.
S-OB II, recorded in the Fall of 1973, may have been her first album to utilize the 921’s.