What is your favorite feature about your Moog

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EricK
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What is your favorite feature about your Moog

Post by EricK » Sat Dec 13, 2008 12:06 pm

Man last night I layd down this track with the Moog and I tell you what, this is one of the most expressive instruments that I have ever played in my life. Between the filter envelope and the Mod wheel, Jeez this instrument is crazy expressive like almost any other Ive ever played.

Now I love playing the drums but sometimes Its hard to have a drumgasm, you know? Im not that wonderful of a keyboard player, you can listen to that and figure that out pretty easily, but even without the actual keyboard chops I find this to be an expressive instrument that has few rivals.



I think right now my favorite thing has to be switching to a 1 pole filter and with a little resonance, making that cutoff scream!


Eric
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Maskin
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Post by Maskin » Sat Dec 13, 2008 12:59 pm

My Little Phatties are by far the most enjoyable instruments I've played, although my Rhodes MK1 is high on the list too.

The best feature? I think the fact that it's a Moog, it's a bit like Apple computers (in my opinion): it just works like you expect it should work.


When I first heard the Linzer Stahlsinfonie by Klaus Schulze I was amazed by the sound of his 2 MiniMoogs. This subtle filtered lead sound, it was echoing in my mind.. I tried to replicate it a thousand times on different synths (VA and software) and I just couldn't get the sound right. Untill I unpacked my first Little Phatty: shivers all over my body when I played the very first note!
I ended up buying another one so I could play leads and sequences at the same time without sampling it to my laptop. Also, if I couple them I have the most powerful monosynth on the planet with a double filter overload! :lol:
[size=75]"I like to play with electronic noise makers. I hope someone wants to listen, and if not, I'll still be up at 3 am making sequences in the dark, drinking coffee, and burning expensive incense." [i]Rod Modell[/i][/size]

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Voltor07
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Post by Voltor07 » Sat Dec 13, 2008 3:11 pm

Wow, we're just full of great topics today! :mrgreen: My favorite feature of my Moog is the filter overdrive and the blue red and amber lighting scheme. (Thanks again, Amos!) I also enjoy playing with the filter poles, and recently have been getting some use out of the performance sets, which I pretty much ignored until two days ago. :lol: I also love the customer support Moog has, though is that a feature? I guess it could be. :wink:
Minitaur, CP-251, EHX #1 Echo, EHX Space Drums/Crash Pads, QSC GX-3, Pyramid stereo power amp, Miracle Pianos, Walking Stick ribbon controller, Synthutron.com, 1983 Hammond organ, dot com modular.

Maskin
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Post by Maskin » Sat Dec 13, 2008 3:17 pm

Voltor07 wrote:I also love the customer support Moog has, though is that a feature? I guess it could be. :wink:
I guess it is, you pay good money for a Moog product so part of it is probably spend on proper costumer support. :)
[size=75]"I like to play with electronic noise makers. I hope someone wants to listen, and if not, I'll still be up at 3 am making sequences in the dark, drinking coffee, and burning expensive incense." [i]Rod Modell[/i][/size]

ColorForm2113
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Post by ColorForm2113 » Sat Dec 13, 2008 8:32 pm

WHERE DO I START! i think my favorite thing with my moog is the fact that i can make an entire song with just one intrument and be able to create percussion, bass, leads, atmosphere, nasty distorted end of the world sounds, and soft meloncholly sounds.

and also being able to run anything that makes some sort of sound and filter it through my moog

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Post by MarkM » Sat Dec 13, 2008 9:41 pm

The layout of the controls on the Voyager (and Phatty) make playing easy and enjoyable. Some synths require lots of menu diving and traversing all over the control panel to make tweaks. The other and most obvious feature I like is the sound.
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EricK
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Post by EricK » Sun Dec 14, 2008 1:49 am

Man I remember the Roland V-guitar...this huge box...it was supposed to be totally awesome but we spent hours trying to work on it and didn't produce squat.

But the Moogs man its all right there in front of you laid out fairly easy and its like eastern philosophy......you do understand your synths on one level as a beginner but as you improve the complexities begin to show themselves until you master the thing.

Eric
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Christopher J. Boylan
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Post by Christopher J. Boylan » Sun Dec 14, 2008 2:50 am

It's so hard to isolate ONE feature that stands out above the rest. I keep trying but keep coming back to the quality of the instrument. As far as portable keyboards go, the Moog synthesizers stand alone, specifically the Minimoog Model D and the Voyager (can't speak for LP - don't own one... yet). There's a quality about them that somehow creates an aura. It's the only way I can describe it. When a player approaches it and touches it and begins to play and tweak, it's magic.

Inspiration, confidence, respect, humility, curiosity, satisfaction, joy, even arrogance and pride - all swell up inside you - and experience you get from no other keyboards.

I've said this over the years over and over, and I'll say it again. When a guitar player takes out his 1958 Gibson SG and plugs it into an old Fender Dual Showman, even young kids respond with, "Wow... awesome!" The guitarist is inspired by this lifetime instrument... a work of art. It feels good in the hands. It inspires better playing because of the respect that the player holds for the instrument. He can pass it along to his child and with some care, it will go on inspiring for years upon years. The same can be said of violins, horns of all kinds - all of the orchestral instruments.

Synths are still young as far as world instruments go, subject to the ever changing technology they embrace and so they have a shelf life. Most plastic, stamped out synthesizers build 25 years ago are ashtrays and plastic milk bottles by now. Keyboard players have ALWAYS been required to upgrade their rig to conform to the new technology and fashion of being a keyboard player.

Until the Moog. It changed everything. For the first time, a keyboard player had something under his hand that had the same kind of relationship that the above guitar player has... an instrument that he can pass along to his child... a work of art - a direct extension of the player's creativity. Moogs are the first instruments available to keyboard players that have this kind of permanent, lifetime quality.

FINALLY! an instrument that will ALWAYS be in my rig as long as I'm alive - and beyond.

Thanks, Bob. We miss you.
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EricK
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Post by EricK » Sun Dec 14, 2008 1:09 pm

Well said indeed!
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analoghaze
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Post by analoghaze » Sun Dec 14, 2008 11:47 pm

I would have the say the mixer out/filter in jack is my favorite feature on the Voyager.
I se it most of the time. (almost every time)
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Voltor07
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Post by Voltor07 » Mon Dec 15, 2008 12:12 am

Christopher J. Boylan wrote: Inspiration, confidence, respect, humility, curiosity, satisfaction, joy, even arrogance and pride - all swell up inside you - and experience you get from no other keyboards.

Moogs are the first instruments available to keyboard players that have this kind of permanent, lifetime quality.

FINALLY! an instrument that will ALWAYS be in my rig as long as I'm alive - and beyond.

Thanks, Bob. We miss you.
Very well said! However, I wonder to what extent our LP's and Voyagers will be repairable. Granted, Polymoogs, Micromoogs and Minimoogs are still being serviced, but how much longer will the supply of parts continue?

At some point, one synth will have to give up its internals so another can live. So, when do the parts and technical know-how run out? Surface mount someday may become obsolete as circuits are impregnated into the boards themselves! I suppose only time will tell...I'm sure I'm thinking too far ahead, beyond my grand-children's lifetime, anyway. :wink:

I guess what I'm trying to say here is...unlike a violin which can last 500 years when properly taken care of, or an ocarina which can last thousands of years (playable ones were found at the Pompeii site), synthesizers really can't be compared to other instruments as far as longetivity goes, because they are completely different. They have their own limited lifeline.
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Kevin Lightner
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Post by Kevin Lightner » Mon Dec 15, 2008 1:23 am

Here's what goes....

Chemical based electronics: electrolytic caps, batteries, some LCDs, etc
Materials with loose bonded molecules: rubber, adhesives, etc
Materials that oxidize: silver switch contacts, terminals, steel, etc
Items that move: keys, pots, switches
Items that wear due to user friction: ribbon controllers, touch pads, etc
Items that change due to light exposure: plastics, paint, etc.

Then add in environmental abuse (temperature, humidity, corrosive salts, airborne particulate matter, etc.)
... and handling abuse (shock, vibration, structural stress when transporting, etc.)

There's a bunch more.

Want a good investment? (under idealistic circumstances)

Buy a couple present-day classics (Voyager, nice guitars, etc) and store them for 30 years in an oxygen and light free chamber.
Maybe filled with argon or some other inert gas.
Later you'll unpack an item that's not seen the light of day, nor the air of 30 years.
Likely worth a LOT more than what you paid. :)

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Voltor07
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Post by Voltor07 » Mon Dec 15, 2008 1:43 am

Kevin Lightner wrote: Buy a couple present-day classics (Voyager, nice guitars, etc) and store them for 30 years in an oxygen and light free chamber.
Maybe filled with argon or some other inert gas.
Later you'll unpack an item that's not seen the light of day, nor the air of 30 years.
Likely worth a LOT more than what you paid. :)
Yes, well, for myself, who wants to enjoy my instruments, and can't afford an oxygen free, temperature-controlled room, I will give my synth gear the best of care, and it will bring joy to at least one other generation after I am gone. And I will be content. Just as EricK inherited his Micromoog, so shall my children inherit my Little Phatty.

And their kids will forever wonder who this Amos Gaynes person was, because my kids will tell them he was a famous keyboard player, because they'll be too embarrased to admit their father wasn't able to switch out the LED's on a surface mount board. :mrgreen:
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Kevin Lightner
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Post by Kevin Lightner » Mon Dec 15, 2008 1:57 am

Never know.
One day it might be "Moog Music, Inc. A division of Gaynes Industries International"

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Voltor07
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Post by Voltor07 » Mon Dec 15, 2008 4:08 am

Kevin Lightner wrote:Never know.
One day it might be "Moog Music, Inc. A division of Gaynes Industries International"
That would totally rock! The complete awesomeness of such an occurrence would be off the Chuck Norris Awesomeness Scale! :shock:
Minitaur, CP-251, EHX #1 Echo, EHX Space Drums/Crash Pads, QSC GX-3, Pyramid stereo power amp, Miracle Pianos, Walking Stick ribbon controller, Synthutron.com, 1983 Hammond organ, dot com modular.

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