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Another Newbie

Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2009 2:27 pm
by Portamental
Hi everyone.... new and proud owner of a LP SEII.

Skipping the long introduction, here's the short version on how that came about.

A couple of years of piano lessons in my early teens (more as a kid really). A little attempt at playing with the guys in my late teens, on flute. Did not last long. While i did not play a musical intrument since then, music was always part of my life and soul, I am an audiophile and music lover, and the rest of the family is much musically inclined.

Last october, on a whim, I walked into a music store thinking about giving my young son the gift of music, while getting the father a toy of a new kind. In front of a small Yamaha home keyboard : "This thing has got any synth sounds?" ... "It sure does".... "Allright... done deal... wrap it up. It's all I need".

That was a major mistake, or a blessing , depending on whether you see it from my point of view or that of my bank account. After frantically reading just about everything I could on the web, my first full featured synth entered it's new home within two weeks.

Of course, while researching, MOOG came out, and I was absolutely ecstatic to learn that a REAL MOOG, the Voyager was well within my budget. Still, I wanted to learn more bout synths before spending 3k. I was also quite impressed with the LP, but I had some fears about it's diminutive interface, and I was hooked on the full knob job of the Voyager anyway.

A bit later, I walked into another music store to indulge myself into another sound making box (under 1k). LP on demo, right next to the door. I touched it. I don't have to tell you what happened from there.

As it turned out, my fear of the LP user interface was unfounded. The instrument is a breeze to set up, play and tweak around. Need I mention the sound?

I got a few other synths since then, some good units in the bunch, but none of them rivals the sound of the LP, nor the pure joy of playing a so well balanced instrument. In the hobbyist category, I am having a ball, and I am particularly pleased to see my keyboard skills on the rise.

I am hooked on MOOG's. Life is good when you're a young 53 :)

Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2009 5:01 pm
by mallard
the long audio demo of the LP is enough to make people smile

I was curious what mootherfoogers do people add to the phatty to get equivalent functionality of a voyager

Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2009 8:34 pm
by earsmack
Welcome Portamental. Everyone here remembers their first Moog and the feeling you're experiencing. Welcome aboard!

Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2009 9:39 pm
by jamezdd73
Welcome fellow Phatty owner! I remember the feeling of first playing the Phatty well...

Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2009 10:11 pm
by Voltor07
It was a rainy summer day nearly two years ago when I played with the LP at the local Sam Ash for an hour, and loaded it, a stand, and a small amp into the the trunk of my Dodge Charger SXT purchased just three months before.

Two years later, I'm still playing my now hot-rodded Phatty, awaiting delivery of my green Jeep Compass, which does much better in the snow than my Charger did. :lol:

Re: Another Newbie

Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2009 12:35 pm
by Assar
Portamental wrote:.../Last october, on a whim, I walked into a music store thinking about giving my young son the gift of music, while getting the father a toy of a new kind./...
Nice story, Porty!
How about your son? Does he ever get a chance to play? :wink:

Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2009 1:01 pm
by Matt Friedman
Yeah... the hands-on experience sells Moogs, doesn't it? I've been a polysynth guy for as long as I've been playing synths. My thinking for a long time was "why pay for monophony?" I walked into GC in NYC well over a year ago, when they had a Voyager and an LP on display and just started noodling. And yeah... I could see the point of monophony.

Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2009 4:17 pm
by EricK
Lilke they say, a Moog only makes 1 note...but its one hell of a note!

Re: Another Newbie

Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2009 6:17 pm
by Portamental
Thanks everyone, this is a feel good place ;)
Assar wrote:Nice story, Porty!
How about your son? Does he ever get a chance to play? :wink:
Well, he showed some interest, and asked for a guitar. "A guitar is fine but I recommend piano and piano lessons". He agreed, but I also bought him an entry level guitar (and a couple for the old man ;) He shows talent, but is not hard working at it... pretty much as I was at his age. I suppose passion has not developped yet. I wish it does for him sooner than it did for me. He did not touch the guitar much. But I did. A lot. Entry level guitars went back to the store, exchanged for higher quality instruments.

FWIW : When I discovered I could actually do a 9 octave glide (8 in the case of the LP i think, not using an external midi keyboard), I tought it was absolutely insane, hence the nick ;)