Moog CE String Filter

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sir_dss
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Moog CE String Filter

Post by sir_dss » Mon May 17, 2004 2:57 am

40 band of filtering! How many of these were made? Has anyone ever tried one?

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MC
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Post by MC » Mon May 17, 2004 4:50 am

They were only made to order in the Moog Music Buffalo days, never a production piece. I doubt there are very many, definitely rarer than the 1630 Frequency Shifter if the 'bay is any measure. Only Moog CE makes them anymore.

From what I've read of owner's experiences with them, they sound amazing. Jan Hammer used to play his Freeman string synth through one, can't cite a specific example.

I have an early 80s keyboard mag interview with Deep Purple's Jon Lord. He did a solo album (never released in the states) that had his Polymoog strings put through a Moog String Filter. Then a Moog Music rep dropped in and heard the featured piece. The rep asked who did the strings (thinking they were real), and when Jon told him it was the Polymoog the rep went very red.

A few years ago, Genesis dumped a pile of vintage gear on the 'bay. One of them was a Moog String Filter. None of Tony Banks' keyboards came up, and a bunch of the gear were old "Genesis" stencil Anvil cases with rotting foam inside.

I know the concept behind the String Filter and I have schematics of the original AES paper that pioneered the idea. I don't know anyone who has schematics for the Moog model though.

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Post by sir_dss » Mon May 17, 2004 3:58 pm

Wow what do you think one would go for today? 8k? How many knobs were on one of these?

I found this guy that made a clone, Jürgen Haible. Well he's working on one:

http://home.debitel.net/user/jhaible/jh ... ilter.html

The mp3's sound incredible.

He's also working on a Frequency Shifter clone.

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MC
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Post by MC » Mon May 17, 2004 4:23 pm

8K? Don't be ridiculous. Modusonics will build you a new one for $1345.

Knobs: input level, output level, resonance. Input jack for CV control of resonance. There are four "Filter Frequency Selector" switches for enabling low, low-mid, mid-hi, and hi filters.

There isn't even an image of one on the net that I know of.

I know of Jürgen Haible's work, he's very talented. He completed his frequency shifter clone at least four years ago.

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Post by MC » Mon May 17, 2004 7:41 pm

If you think the String Filter or the 1630 FS are rare, try finding a DVCO.

This is a 2U rack dual VCO designed for expanding Minimoogs. Also a custom order, not a production piece. Controls for waveforms, pulse width, octaves, detune, level, and sync. The oscillator circuits resemble the Minimoog oscillators, Joe Rivers of keyboardmuseum.org has schematics and I've seen them.

I think I've seen only ONE of these come up for sale, ever. Even though the Museum of Synthesizer Technology in Britian had a String Filter, they never got a DVCO. I have a pic of one in one of my old back issues of keyboard mag.

Modusonics still makes these too.

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Post by sir_dss » Mon May 17, 2004 11:43 pm

Does the "D" stan for dual?

How did it expand the MiniMoog? Did it make it polyphonic?

I'm bugging Moog Music to make an expander to turn your Voyager into a polyphonic Voyager.

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Post by MC » Tue May 18, 2004 12:15 am

"D" means "dual"

It did not make a Minimoog polyphonic. The keyboard CV from the Minimoog controlled the pitch of the DVCO and you routed the audio to the Minimoog's external audio input. That way you could have four VCOs and still use the Minimoog's third VCO as an LFO.

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Post by sir_dss » Tue May 18, 2004 12:37 am

Yeah I got the dual thing the second time I read the post.

If I bout a bunch of Ken Stone band pass filter kits(w/resonate filter) do you thing I could any way simulate the Moog String Filter? Each board is really cheap $6, and the parts cant be too much.

http://www.cgs.synth.net/

Go to "modules" then "band pass filter.

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Post by MC » Wed May 19, 2004 2:45 am

Well you'd need to know what frequency, bandwidth, and resonance to tune each of the 40 filters - and I don't know where that info is.

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macrutan
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Re: Moog CE String Filter

Post by macrutan » Wed Oct 26, 2011 12:22 am

I'm only 8 years late on this post, But I have an original Moog CE String Filter. Contact me with any questions.

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Re: Moog CE String Filter

Post by bollinote » Wed Oct 26, 2011 9:39 pm

Hello :
I have an DVCO custom eng rack. This module has 2 minimoog oscillators and will be the only??? vintage moog product with sync .
The sound is amazing and usually I use it with my modular system and the 2600 to get 2 more oscillators. I have all the docs and parts to modify an minimoog to get 5 oscillators . Still I have no plans to fit this kit in my minimoog because its an musonics and I prefer get it as stock as possible.
Mike bucki was selling them (NOS???) but as every knows this "gentlemen" has dissapear form the earth.
If needed I can provide more info & schematics.....
Bollinote

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Re: Moog CE String Filter

Post by ColorForm2113 » Fri Oct 28, 2011 4:02 pm

macrutan wrote:I'm only 8 years late on this post, But I have an original Moog CE String Filter. Contact me with any questions.

macrutan
Pics please :shock:
My modular so far: Q104, Q106 x2, Q107, Q108, Q109 x2 , Q116, Q118, Q127 w/Q140, Q130, STG Wave Folder, Mixer and Mankato playing with Moog Voyager, VX-351, CP-251, MF-104M x2 ( STEREO!) Volca Beats and Bass, Arturia Beat step

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Kevin Lightner
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Re: Moog CE String Filter

Post by Kevin Lightner » Fri Oct 28, 2011 5:41 pm

ColorForm2113 wrote:Pics please :shock:
Try Google? :)

Below is their image search URL.
Just type "Moog String Filter" into the box and hit return.
http://www.google.com/imghp?

Here is a photo I took of what one looks like inside.
http://www.synthfool.com/moog_string_filter_inside.jpg
Those blue goodies with the red paint on them are adjustment trimmers.
They were all set to an exact setting at the factory and then were sealed with paint to avoid movement in the future.

Simply put, this is a good idea that has limited uses.
It's a bunch of fixed filters tuned to certain frequencies, levels and resonances in order to mimic the acoustic body resonances of a violin or other stringed instrument body.
The idea being that given the right waveform(s), it will add resonant overtones of an acoustic body instrument and thus sound more realistic.

But it is far less magical sounding than just putting a sound through a simple chorus box.
Most people have no need or desire for what it does and Moog didn't sell many.
People often try one and say "is that all it does?"
Still, they have their uses for serious synthesists attempting more perfect string instrument simulations and for special effects.
Better to be king for a night than schmuck for a lifetime. - R. Pupkin

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MC
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Re: Moog CE String Filter

Post by MC » Fri Oct 28, 2011 10:17 pm

I landed an ADA STD-1 tapped delay last year. That thing can get nice woody resonances. With the MIDImurf->STD-1 chain (using the Murf as a fixed filter bank) you can get scary good violins, violas, cellos, etc.
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Piktor
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Re: Moog CE String Filter

Post by Piktor » Sat Oct 29, 2011 8:49 pm

bollinote wrote:Hello :
I have an DVCO custom eng rack. This module has 2 minimoog oscillators and will be the only??? vintage moog product with sync .
The sound is amazing and usually I use it with my modular system and the 2600 to get 2 more oscillators. I have all the docs and parts to modify an minimoog to get 5 oscillators ....
Bollinote

The Multimoog (1977?) has sync.

When did you acquire the DVCO? I thought of buying the unit when they were first advertised (checked out a SEM too), but ended up buying a second Multi to add two more oscillators.

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