Moog Music Forum

Hey people!,

Maybe you can help me with a decision...

I'm going to choose wether I buy a MFB Domion of the Moog Model D... Right now I'm more into the Model D, the only thing that holds me back is that I fear that I'll run out of sounds too quick... I'm an experimental musician, it's all about discovering new territory in sound... I don't want a patch to sound like the one I did before... The MFB Dominion 1 has a lot of modulation options, like a TON - and sounds great! But the Model D is just a Model D and I honestly don't know why I love it so much but I just do. It sounds so fat, alive and warm...
Also I prefer the Minimoogs design far more than the design of the Dominion. I have the feeling if I buy the Dominion I will feel a hole in my heart that only a Model D can fill... Of course on a Moog forum I'm expecting that 90% will cheer for the Model D, but still I want to hear your opinion...

Do you think I'll run out of sounds with the Model D quick? Or will I be able to explore it past infinity? That's a major buy-or-buy-not argument for me right here... Is the Model D a better option for experimental musicians? Or is the MFB Domion a better choice if one wants a long-lasting sound exploration?

Thanks for reading! Any spelling mistakes emerge from me being german...

Hi,

I doubt whether the Model D will limit you too unduly with sound design - ok its modulation is more limited, but unless you want multi modulation all over the place you can do more than ok - see this - I really enjoyed this and this is the old version of the Model D - with even less modulation options!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bU2RVYHeVEE


Ian

If you like the Moog sound, only a Moog will do it. But if you're into sound design, I would suggest the Voyager...best the XL. IMO the Model D is something for classic keyboard players and collectors. Its a very limited synth compared to the Voyager XL or the Sub 37 which I both own. Sub 37 is very fun and has a lot of possibilities. The Voyager XL is just the uber mothership...add some Foogers and you'll never run out of sounds.

It depends on the style of music you do. If you're into 70s Rock or classic synth music like JMJ...the Model D would be great for sure. Even though you can easily achieve similar tones with a Voyager.

If cash matters....go for the Sub 37. Best bang for the buck Moog is offering. More modern sounding then a Voyager or Model D though...lets say a bit more nasal and thin. Compared to other synths still massive!

I was very interested with the MFB due its great specs. But the tone leaves me cold every time I try it.

motion drive wrote:If you like the Moog sound, only a Moog will do it. But if you're into sound design, I would suggest the Voyager...best the XL. IMO the Model D is something for classic keyboard players and collectors. Its a very limited synth compared to the Voyager XL or the Sub 37 which I both own. Sub 37 is very fun and has a lot of possibilities. The Voyager XL is just the uber mothership...add some Foogers and you'll never run out of sounds.

It depends on the style of music you do. If you're into 70s Rock or classic synth music like JMJ...the Model D would be great for sure. Even though you can easily achieve similar tones with a Voyager.

If cash matters....go for the Sub 37. Best bang for the buck Moog is offering. More modern sounding then a Voyager or Model D though...lets say a bit more nasal and thin. Compared to other synths still massive!

I was very interested with the MFB due its great specs. But the tone leaves me cold every time I try it.

I like classic rock actually I love it, but the music I make with synths is another corner. I'm playing guitar aswell to feed my hunger for rock though...
For what I like I would suggest to watch this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQWb6nR ... Pg&index=5
The Minimoog Model D has just THAT sound man... There's nothing like it... It got limited modulation but still it's something that just a 3OSC Monosynth by Moog can produce... Especially when you detune one OSC and slowly tune it back into "correct tune" while the other oscillators run too.... gorgeous (I don't know if this happens in the video though)... I bet the Voyager can do that too but the Model D has still some extra punch kinda...
I don't know why I'm even looking for alternatives if only a Model D can satisfy me...

Sounds lovely...but as said, imo you can do that with a Voyager as well. To my ears the Model D seems a tiny bit more aggressive and ballsy compared to the Voyager. But I love the round and liquid sound the Voyager has...especially with the two filters. I'm sure you can get the same sounds like in your video by adding maybe a little fuzz with a Moogerfooger or something. But if you're into more grungy sounds...the Little Phatty has that! I sold mine as I felt to limited. To me...Sub 37 and XL or Voyager in general, are the best Moog synths for exploration and sound design atm. Model D as said has got THAT tone...but if your not Herbie Hancock...I don't see the point..lol

As much as I love Model Ds, I would advise for the Dominion 1 for pure sonic design.
Because of the numerous filters and modulations (+ FM and so on), and because it has memories (which is really important when you are doing complex sounds) it will provide you with a much broader sonic ground.
Plus it costs less than a third of a Model D (I had mine used for 1100€)
And yes, the 3 oscs definitely have that vintage analog vibe.

Now, that said, it is not a perfect machine: ergonomics are sometimes poor, and I would not use it as a stage performer keyboard because of the awkward pitch and modulation strips.
But it does have velocity and aftertouch plus all the CV ins and outs

Cheers!

I'm also primarily a guitar player and I also fell in love with the sound of the Model D. I first bought a Sub Phatty, thinking that would be a more budget-friendly way to satisfy my craving for Moog, but I never really found the sounds I fell in love with. It's a cool synth, but somehow it's just way to easy for me to find sounds that are not my style. Then I bought a Sub 37 for the extra features and more features available directly from the panel. It's a great instrument, but for me personally it had the same flaw as the Sub Phatty: I didn't find the sounds in my head very easily.

In the end I got a Model D reissue and it's exactly what I should have gotten right away. The fact that it has less features actually makes me get to the sounds in my head more easily. Less distraction and somehow less sounds I don't like. And it's still a pretty deep instrument.

I'd recommend getting a Model D if you know that's a sound you want. I guess you won't get tired of it too quickly, but if you do you'll still probably want the Model D sound, so then it might be time for a second synth. (But the Model D might just be all you ever need.)

I have both (and the voyager). I love the mini D, god help me, I really really do, it's incredibly musical at almost every setting. It just sounds great and goes to 11. But the Dominion 1 is 1/3 the cost, with far more modulation, and patch storage, and it is punchy and big sounding. It perfectly holds its own against the D. Clearly though I had the Voyager and Dominion and still purchased the Mini. Nothing sounds like the Mini D but the Mini D. The Dominion is going to be far more variable though. It is an incredibly comprehensive mono with incredibly vintage tone. It's just a great synth and you wouldn't be disappointed.

I think it's clear that you should get the MFB Dominion 1. The hole in your heart for the Model D will eat and nag at you until you buy one. Then you'll have both and you won't have to worry about this decision anymore

mgregory22 wrote: The hole in your heart for the Model D will eat and nag at you until you buy one.

People don't look to the Model D for synthesis. It's a tone machine. A friend of mine who works on synths attests to the Dominion as being better than the Voyager. The hole in your heart for a Model D WILL be there always though.