My "Dream" Moog

[jsharpphoto]

Ever since I got my sub 37 back in the spring, I've been contemplating what synths I would buy if I a.) won the lottery, or b.) insert other ridiculous way of becoming wealthy. Haven't we all had a similar thought pattern?

What I had settled on was a Model 15 paired with a Voyager XL to control it. Well. I didn't win the lottery. But I bought a voyager XL anyways. Now that I've been reading the manual, impatiently waiting for the XL to arrive, I've started wondering.... Why would I even need the Model 15?

Granted, the filter bank is a thing of beauty and science. But between the XL, my sub37, and my stereo pair of minitaurs.... Is there anything I can't already do? Other than change individual modules.

[ColorForm2113]

the moog modular stuff has a different sound to it for sure. i got to spend some time with a system 35 and sequencer compliment but really, for all intensive purposes what you have covers most of your needs probably

[jsharpphoto]

I know what you mean. The modulars just sound "bigger". I didn't mean to imply in my original post that I didn't appreciate the sonic differences. It was mainly about function and ability.

[EricK]

I don't really see the difference in asking “Can I Achieve X with Y hardware” vs “Can I achieve X with software.” It’s going to come down to the same things in the end: The sound and the interface.

First, Compare the frequency response of the oscillators, the simultaneous outs, the modulation inputs. The Minitaur peaks out at 523.25Hz (not sure about the Voyager’s). The 921b ranges from .1-40,000Hz, the 921 goes down to .01Hz.
I can tell you from experience that the Model D Minimoog blows the Voyager out of the water as far as powerful, bright, harmonically rich oscillators go. The Model D also will outperform the Taurus III in that same regard. My Moslab 921b bank sounds almost the same as the Model D. I haven’t heard a real moog modular in person before to say how the moslab would compare to an original 921b. From this, I think it would be safe to infer that the modular is going to give you a better sound than the above. Then when you consider the ability to cross-modulate the oscs, the modular really edges out other hardware options.

People can debate all day long about whether things are redundant, but the modules stand on their own merits. I would take a modular any day of the week over approximating the same with other pieces of hardware. You may be perfectly happy with what you have like Colorform said.

The real question is probably not about whether a Voyager/Minitaur combo can stand up to the modular, but whether or not the Moog clones do. I’d personally like to hear the difference between a £3500 Moog clone modular vs a $10,000 Moog 15.

Here's a moslab with heavy delay and reverb
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAdeJ2FjOco

[jsharpphoto]

The more I think about it, the less "need" really means. Whether I need the sonic capabilities or not, if I win the lottery, I'm buying a modular. I'm not into fancy cars or exotic vacations. I'm into synthesizers.

I guess this thread was kind of pointless. Hell, if I win the lottery, maybe I will try and get a job working (for free) for Moog.

[benulous]

You don't need the big racks to achieve what you're looking for. I've got the Voyager XL, all the moogerfoogers and 2 Mother32s now and I am having an absolute blast.

I'd definitely recommend it.

For instance:

Yesterday, I had a Kick sequenced on 1 Mother 32 and a synth arpeggio sequenced on the the other. I had the Kick M32 CV sync'd to the clock of Arp M32. I had the Kick M32 audio running through the Freqbox to add 'grit' and then out through the LowpassFilter for 'oomph'. The Arp M32 audio was running into the MIDIMurf (stereo panning and resonant movement). I had the gate out CV of the Arp M32 running into one of the MULTs in of the XL and the outs sending to the trigger in of the Midimurf and S&H Gate In of the XL. I the created an S&H patch on the XL. The Arp M32 was sending gate messages to step both the MidiMurf and XL S&H. I could turn the tempo knob of one M32 and everything was staying in sync. I had the XL audio running through the RingModulator-->AnalogDelay-->Phaser-->Clusterflux (stereo out). When I'd lower the tempo to get isolated S&H triggers from the XL, I could increase the delay times and LFO setting to get some wicked outerspace drifts...I did some other things like sending LFO Mult from XL to various pedals and whatnot to keep things from getting out of control...I sent this all to a small mixer that has a Eventide Space reverb on the Effect Send/Return. Today, I will be unplugging all the cables and trying new ways to FSU.

To each their own. Of course, if we all had the money, we'd all have the big racks....but, If you keep an eye out, you can score some great deals on used moogerfoogers and slowly build up a kickass rig - and they add so much to the sound palette. Also, the Mother 32's add a whole 'nother layer of badassery at a low cost. Mixed in with the Sub37....that'd be plenty bananas to get lift off.

[EricK]

Video/Audio or it didn't happen.

[noddyspuncture]

Video/Audio or it didn't happen.