Is the Werkstatt more than a toy?

Everything Werkstatt.
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facon
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Is the Werkstatt more than a toy?

Post by facon » Wed Aug 20, 2014 2:26 pm

I have my eye on a Werkstatt. Half of the music gear I own has been DIY from the ground up. So this is very interesting to me. I can see a lot of possibilities with mods and add ons! I also think it will be fun with the rest of my Moogerfoogers. However, I'm wondering, are the VCO and VCF up to par with other Moog products? Is this a fun toy for experimentation only or an expandable foundation for some great Moog synth sounds?

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_DemonDan_
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Re: Is the Werkstatt more than a toy?

Post by _DemonDan_ » Wed Aug 20, 2014 6:40 pm

facon wrote:Is this a fun toy for experimentation only or an expandable foundation for some great Moog synth sounds?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5P14EgqfsU
_ :twisted: _DemonDan_ :twisted: _

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facon
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Re: Is the Werkstatt more than a toy?

Post by facon » Thu Aug 21, 2014 2:00 pm

That's a great video Dan!! Thank you.

The thing is, I'm pretty inexperienced with synths. My focus has been on guitar and drums. I own a small studio and would like to have an analog synth handy. It's not very often that it comes up, so it has to be affordable. I have the Animoog app on my iPad, but I just prefer to have analog hardware whenever I can. I guess I'm not experienced enough with different Moog synths to hear some of the things people claim to make them sound different. I'm curious to hear from experienced Moog users to see how they think the sound quality compares.

Wesley
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Re: Is the Werkstatt more than a toy?

Post by Wesley » Thu Aug 21, 2014 4:26 pm

I am working on a composition with the Werkstatt where I am playing the Werkstatt button-board, controlling the filter cutoff with a Moog 1120 footpedal controller and running it through an MF-104M Analog Delay. This is No Toy! It may be limited, but it sounds great and is quite playable.

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facon
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Re: Is the Werkstatt more than a toy?

Post by facon » Mon Aug 25, 2014 8:14 am

I went ahead and ordered a Werkstatt last week. I'm excited to try it out! Thanks for the feedback Wesley.

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facon
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Re: Is the Werkstatt more than a toy?

Post by facon » Tue Aug 26, 2014 10:59 am

Well, I definitely love this little synth! It's exactly what I was looking for. It's nice to have something that is just grab and go. I think instead of adding jacks to the unit, I'm going to install a DB25 connector and have breakup boxes like the Voyagers. This way I can have one setup for synth sounds, one setup for my guitar pedalboard and easily grab it whenever I want to use it for anything else.

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facon
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Re: Is the Werkstatt more than a toy?

Post by facon » Wed Aug 27, 2014 12:07 am

I made up some wood panels for it today. I had one knob already and have the rest coming from Small Bear. I thought it could look a little more Moogish.

Image

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Re: Is the Werkstatt more than a toy?

Post by slabwax » Fri Aug 29, 2014 11:21 am

Facon,

That looks great! Please post a photo when all the knobs are on.

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muksys
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Re: Is the Werkstatt more than a toy?

Post by muksys » Fri Aug 29, 2014 10:36 pm

Love the wood ends!!

I ordered those same knobs from smallbear. They do look tits, but when they're next to each other (especially the cutoff and res), it's a bit cumbersome to tweak. Also, if you push those knobs down they WILL NOT come off!! I had to use a pair of pliers to get them off. It ended up destroying the cutoff and resonance pots. Thankfully I had a drawer full of those same pots so I was able to replace em. Do keep this in mind though.

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facon
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Re: Is the Werkstatt more than a toy?

Post by facon » Fri Aug 29, 2014 10:59 pm

Thanks for the heads up! I didn't have any problem with that one sticking when it was down. I can imagine it's a pain though. Especially since the pots aren't attached to the chassis. If something like that happens and you have a little space underneath the knob, use a shoe string to pull it off. Just slip it under the knob, place the it on the floor, put your foot on the enclosure and pull up.

If the knobs are too close around the cutoff/resonance and attack/decay, I may just use something different for those. Perhaps the #2. I do like the larger knob around the frequency because it's so touchy.

I've read over your blog quite a few times! Thank you for posting the info you've found. I'm debating on getting one of those panels, but am waiting to see if more mods pop up. You mentioned that you think the VCO is a little hot for the filter. What would you say to adding a resistor right into the VCO jumper to attenuate the signal a bit? Instead of having an external attenuator.

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muksys
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Re: Is the Werkstatt more than a toy?

Post by muksys » Fri Aug 29, 2014 11:20 pm

facon wrote:Thanks for the heads up! I didn't have any problem with that one sticking when it was down. I can imagine it's a pain though. Especially since the pots aren't attached to the chassis. If something like that happens and you have a little space underneath the knob, use a shoe string to pull it off. Just slip it under the knob, place the it on the floor, put your foot on the enclosure and pull up.

If the knobs are too close around the cutoff/resonance and attack/decay, I may just use something different for those. Perhaps the #2. I do like the larger knob around the frequency because it's so touchy.

I've read over your blog quite a few times! Thank you for posting the info you've found. I'm debating on getting one of those panels, but am waiting to see if more mods pop up. You mentioned that you think the VCO is a little hot for the filter. What would you say to adding a resistor right into the VCO jumper to attenuate the signal a bit? Instead of having an external attenuator.
I tried pulling it off with wire. I tired leveraging it off with a screwdriver. I did everything except let Ozzy bite it off!

Thanks for the readings! It's good to know people actually go there and I'm just not posting in the dark. :) I'm not against the VCO fed hot into the filter, but I would like to control it better, so I'm working on a PCB that'll have a mixer (among some other things), giving the ability to adjust the levels of the VCO and Audio IN. I was pretty dead set against adding appendages like knobs and switches, but the more I dive into it the more I realize it's pretty necessary,

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facon
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Re: Is the Werkstatt more than a toy?

Post by facon » Fri Aug 29, 2014 11:37 pm

I keep thinking about all of the things I'd like to add, but am having a dilemma with how much I really want to drill into it. The only thing I'd really like to have permanently installed would be a headphone amp with volume control for when it's a grab and go thing.

I've been coming to the idea of using a DB25 connector with a breakout box. Similar to the Voyagers input and output expanders. This way I could add another VCO and as many mods as I'd like. One of these enclosures would be perfect:

http://www.hammondmfg.com/dwg20CWW.htm

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facon
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Re: Is the Werkstatt more than a toy?

Post by facon » Tue Sep 02, 2014 5:11 pm

Got all of the knobs in. They are actually kind of loose and don't come close to sticking. I also don't feel that the knobs are too close together. Perhaps I ordered different knobs. These are #4 Synth Pointers from Small Bear. I did not order knurled shaft.

http://www.smallbearelec.com/servlet/Detail?no=1112

Image

Image

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muksys
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Re: Is the Werkstatt more than a toy?

Post by muksys » Tue Sep 02, 2014 9:23 pm

Ah that's why. I ordered the knurled shaft ones. DO NOT USE THOSE!!

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Voltor07
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Re: Is the Werkstatt more than a toy?

Post by Voltor07 » Fri Sep 19, 2014 12:08 pm

muksys wrote:Ah that's why. I ordered the knurled shaft ones. DO NOT USE THOSE!!
Never do! They're all crap. :mrgreen:
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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