Why the Sub is a Square wave on the Sub and Subsequent

[martinbrossman]

Do we lose that much by not have a third VCO on the Sub 37, compare to the more expensive Voyager? Why do you think the Square Wave Sub Oscillator is a Square wave on the Sub and Subsequent 37?

Also why only one triangle wave on the oscillator?

Thanks, just learning.
Martin Brossman

[stiiiiiiive]

I think that square waves are kind of easy to generate given an oscillator. That must be a historical reason.

[till]

The square wave "sub oscillator" is indeed easy to generate from the output of an analog oscillator.

But a sub oscillator is always in perfect phase sync to its master oscillator. So there is never a beating or detune between the sub and the master oscillator.

So a synth without a suboscillator but with a third oscillator is always different in its sound. You get a more complex beating/detune action by three oszillators.
Two oscillators (with or without a sub oscillator) will always get you a simple beating/detuning between two oscillators.

But even the original Minimoogs (not the reissued ones) used two oscillators a time if you needed an LFO for vibrato, as they did not had an dedicated LFO for this job. Only the reissued Minimoogs and the Minimoog with the Rudi Linhard MIDI input got their LFO to use three oscillators all the time if needed.

So the three oscillators of the Voyagers are indeed luxury sonically. But didn't most players of the Voyager rather would play a Minimoog for a fuller sound?

So it does not matter if you got 2 or 3 oscillators. It matters how bold they sound. And a nice suboscillator makes a nice bold bass edge to sounds. So some sounds of the Sub37(subPhatty might sound fuller than a Voyager for certain sounds.