Moog 904A (9504A actually) love!

[JohnLRice]

The amazing Bob Moog 904A expertly cloned by Don Martin as the 9504A. I thought folks here might enjoy this little sample I made:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qI9emg47lqQ

[analogmonster]

Absolutely d'accord. The only improvement potential I thought about when I was cloning it lies in a voltage controlled regeneration function like the Memorymoog filter does or other later filter implementations.

[chromium]

That filter sounds mighty luscious! or simply... mighty! Nice job!

I can relate about doing demos for gear I'm about to sell... more often than not it guarantees that I'll somehow re-connect with the item and change my mind

[JohnLRice]

Thanks analogmonster and Joe!

I've daily changed my mind several times about selling it. And have actually twice done comparisons again to all my other low pass filters which, without comparing to others, all have a sound that is awesome. And then I leave the 9504A for last and . . . . . .there is just some extra magical sauce the issues forth and convinces me that I must keep it.

[PROPHET V]

Sounds Great ! Does anyone have any idea how many of those Don Martin Moog LPF were made ?

[JohnLRice]

Sold it after all
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMZ8MAR3x80

[CZ Rider]

Nice vid and track with some fantastic still shots of the 9504A! They just don't build modules like that anymore. Some high quality hardware on that module. So many clones get the panel look right, but behind the panel, the quality really drops off. Gotta' love that late 60's build style. Huge solid mounted circuit boards on all metal C frames. Nice solid precision pots with stainless steel shafts. High quality Mallory rotary switch. Large multi-pin connector on the back to custom hardwire any connections the end user could want.
If you took any of the Moog modular clones made today and built them with those type parts/hardware, you would need to add several hundred dollars to the end price of each module. You certainly get what you pay for. Built to last!

[Kevin Lightner]

The Don Martin modules were the closest clones I've ever seen to Moogs.
The circuits were exact copies, the parts high quality, the sound perfect.

Don's biggest mistake was calling himself Moog.
It brought on the lawsuit and he went under.
Moon Modular did it right- they changed one letter and were in the clear, copyright wise.
It's really a pity. They were great modules.
The only obvious difference I saw was that they used larger gauge wire than original Moogs.
This, I thought, was actually a good thing too.

As for COTK, they sent me a small system for my opinion.
It was an early system and I gave them some slack for their mistakes.
But their mistakes were many. My system arrived in pieces.
They arrived in pieces flopping around.
They didn't use lock washers, put parts in wrong (where they couldn't have worked and thus suggested they were never tested.)
The soldering was poor and sub-standard.
The parts were often sub-standard too, using substitutes and the construction poor.
Their VCO used a CEM3340 chip also, which is definitely a different sound than a Moog 921.
COTK got angry at me for telling them this. They wouldn't reply to further emails and refused to take their system back.
I ended up giving away some modules and selling others.

But to this day, the COTK phasor is/was the best sounding phasor I've ever heard.
Better than Moogs, better than Mutron, better than MXR. A glorious phasor. True win.

Now, I imagine COTK has improved their stuff and they're probably much better than what I saw.
But I remain miffed at their attitude back then: they sent me the system for evaluation and opinion and told them exactly what I felt were weak spots.
They appeared butthurt at my findings and cut off all communications.
They even refused my offer to send it back even though I made the improvements I cited.
I am assuming they took my suggestions, implemented them and now make them better.