New Product from Dave Smith

In a Moog Mood? Here's a forum for discussion of general Moog topics.
The Analog Organist

Post by The Analog Organist » Mon Aug 10, 2009 10:22 pm

If you don't like it, don't buy it. The Tetra could have all sorts of uses. It could be used to add four more voices to the Prophet 08. This is a tremendous improvement for some of us. I'm especially looking forward to having six voices available in the stack mode, which will result in a huge sound.

It could be used as the brains of a four voice synthesizer. Sometimes it's useful - for set up/rig reasons - to have a synthesizer that has a removable control panel and a slim midi keyboard controller that can be placed in between two other keyboards. Again, this will be of help to me.

It could be used to build up a tremendous monophonic sound on the Prophet.

And for those of us who play pedals, it could also be used to drive a polyphonic pedalboard. You can play three notes at a time with your feet (the root of a triad, with the third and fifth an octave above), although it's more common to play no more than two - usually doubling an octave or adding a fifth for depth. You can also play the melody with a descant on a pedalboard if the sound source has the proper higher range. The Tetra would be perfect for these.

For all these purposes, it makes far more sense to designate only a module, rather than a whole space consuming keyboard synthesizer.

I can't see buying multiple Tetra's, but having just one would make some important improvements in a set up. A row of two or more of these modules would be just too complicated and cluttered. But as a less expensive option to buying a whole Prophet module, the Tetra is a fabulous pick. I can't wait for mine to arrive.
Last edited by The Analog Organist on Mon Aug 10, 2009 10:52 pm, edited 2 times in total.

Subtronik
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Post by Subtronik » Mon Aug 10, 2009 10:48 pm

I love any and all electronic music making gear.

I don't care if it sounds crap or limits me in anyway.

Anything that bleeps, chirps, growls or rumbles makes me happy.

I'm just addicted to electronically generated sound machines is all...

--------------------------

Close up of the Tetra:

http://www.dv247.com/assets/products/66469_l.jpg
[url=http://www.myspace.com/subtronik]My Music[/url]
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/39599873@N07/show/]Voyager Photos[/url]
[url=http://www.youtube.com/subtronik]Voyager Videos[/url]

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Post by Voltor07 » Tue Aug 11, 2009 1:59 am

If Moog came out with a similar thing to the Tetra, I'd buy it in a heartbeat! Integrate it with my LP, and I'd have a five-voice Moog! :mrgreen:
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Portamental
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Post by Portamental » Tue Aug 11, 2009 1:44 pm

Voltor07 wrote:Integrate it with my LP, and I'd have a five-voice Moog! :mrgreen:
That's one combination i did not think about (although I use the Mopho with the LP sometimes).... Now I need one! ;)

Now seriously, one question remains, the LP being a mono synth, will it transmit 5 keys pressed simultaneously through MIDI ?

Edit : There's one way to find out, i'll have the answer in a few :roll:

One more edit, 5 minutes later : Piece of cake. Did not even need a single change in utilities or something.

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Post by CTRLSHFT » Tue Aug 11, 2009 2:14 pm

Portamental wrote:
Voltor07 wrote:Integrate it with my LP, and I'd have a five-voice Moog! :mrgreen:
That's one combination i did not think about (although I use the Mopho with the LP sometimes).... Now I need one! ;)

Now seriously, one question remains, the LP being a mono synth, will it transmit 5 keys pressed simultaneously through MIDI ?

Edit : There's one way to find out, i'll have the answer in a few :roll:

One more edit, 5 minutes later : Piece of cake. Did not even need a single change in utilities or something.
Yeah the LP is monophonic but the keyboard can be used as a standard controller for other gear, poly or not.

I've been using mine to control my virus now and again. :)
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Post by Sir Nose » Tue Aug 11, 2009 5:39 pm

I really like what I've read on the tetra. I can't wait to hear it. A seperate 16X4 sequencer on each voice each with a seperate out can make for a nice analog drum machine. $600 or less would have had me, at it's current price it'll have to wait. Novamusik has a pre-order deal of $50 off BTW.

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Portamental
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Post by Portamental » Tue Aug 11, 2009 6:09 pm

The Mopho's sequencer (and I assume, the Tetr4's) was a bit short of what I expected. It's easy to use, and flexible allright. Now, while this may not be a consideration at all for most people, it will output any of it's four sequences to any of it's modulation destinations (45 in all) but not to a MIDI channel as notes.

What is sequenced in the Mopho (Tetr4) remains inside of it.

The more I think about it, I am gonna save that $1k (cdn) for the forthcoming Taurus 3 pedal. That I can really use. Personnal preference of course.

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Post by Voltor07 » Tue Aug 11, 2009 10:39 pm

I think everyone is failing to state the obvious, but I could be wrong. :) Moog seems to be falling behind in the analog polyphony department. I think, at the very least, they need to build a box that contains the circuitry of four Little Phattys, costs no more than a Voyager, and has the foot print of a single Phatty. They could call it the Little Ph4tty. :wink:

This would of course be released alongside an 8 or 10 voice Megamoog that would have an insert for a Voyager and an insert within that insert for a Little Phatty. :mrgreen:
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Post by Sir Nose » Wed Aug 12, 2009 12:09 am

Portamental wrote:
What is sequenced in the Mopho (Tetr4) remains inside of it.
Thanks for that piece of info. I don't think I read that before.

The Analog Organist

Post by The Analog Organist » Wed Aug 12, 2009 12:24 pm

Yes, Moog certainly is falling behind, having no polyphonic synthesizer. This is especially ridiculous, considering the enthusiasm and loyalty that Moog users feel towards the company. In other words, a 61-note nobby reasonably priced analog polysynth could hardly fail. Meanwhile, our tongues are hanging out at even the rumor of such an instrument.

Hey Moog, give us a polyphonic synthesizer! We promise to buy it!

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Post by CTRLSHFT » Wed Aug 12, 2009 1:15 pm

I think the polyphony apprehension is based on what it takes to create an analog poly w/out using filter chips and dcos.

For comparison take a look at prices of the Studio Electronics Omega series:

Omega 2 (Large Chassis) $2,399.00
OM4 Omega 4 Voice $3,199.00
OM6 Omega Six Voice $3,999.00
OM8 Omega Eight Voice $4,699.00

It's do-able, but discrete is expensive. I think an LP style chassis and 4-6 voice polyphony would be possible in a package around ~2k, but I guess we'll see what they come up with. It's gotta be a hot topic.
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Post by Voltor07 » Wed Aug 12, 2009 2:49 pm

CTRLSHFT wrote:I think the polyphony apprehension is based on what it takes to create an analog poly w/out using filter chips and dcos.

For comparison take a look at prices of the Studio Electronics Omega series:

Omega 2 (Large Chassis) $2,399.00
OM4 Omega 4 Voice $3,199.00
OM6 Omega Six Voice $3,999.00
OM8 Omega Eight Voice $4,699.00

It's do-able, but discrete is expensive. I think an LP style chassis and 4-6 voice polyphony would be possible in a package around ~2k, but I guess we'll see what they come up with. It's gotta be a hot topic.
$4700 for an eight voice? Pretty reasonable, IMO. Still, if Moog could come up with a self contained polysynth for about $8k, I'm sure there'd be a bunch of takers. I'd pay about two grand for a poly box type thing similar in design to the Quadr4. :wink:
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Post by CTRLSHFT » Wed Aug 12, 2009 4:00 pm

Voltor07 wrote:
CTRLSHFT wrote:I think the polyphony apprehension is based on what it takes to create an analog poly w/out using filter chips and dcos.

For comparison take a look at prices of the Studio Electronics Omega series:

Omega 2 (Large Chassis) $2,399.00
OM4 Omega 4 Voice $3,199.00
OM6 Omega Six Voice $3,999.00
OM8 Omega Eight Voice $4,699.00

It's do-able, but discrete is expensive. I think an LP style chassis and 4-6 voice polyphony would be possible in a package around ~2k, but I guess we'll see what they come up with. It's gotta be a hot topic.
$4700 for an eight voice? Pretty reasonable, IMO. Still, if Moog could come up with a self contained polysynth for about $8k, I'm sure there'd be a bunch of takers. I'd pay about two grand for a poly box type thing similar in design to the Quadr4. :wink:
I don't think there would be many takers at $8k...they'd probably need to do what they did with the Taurus to get a census on how many takers they could get to reserve an order. There'd be a few, but not many.
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Post by Bryan T » Wed Aug 12, 2009 4:09 pm

Personally, I'd probably pay $2K for an 8-voice analog synth. Something like a Little Phatty, but polyphonic.

Folks who are talking about $5K or $8K are in a different world than I am.

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Post by gtivr6fan » Wed Aug 12, 2009 5:31 pm

Bryan T wrote:Personally, I'd probably pay $2K for an 8-voice analog synth. Something like a Little Phatty, but polyphonic.

Folks who are talking about $5K or $8K are in a different world than I am.
I think you mean "than the rest of us" :lol:
Boxes full o' wires, n stuff n stuff...

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