Hey guys, I'm Sean. I'm mostly a lurker here, but I do post every once in a while, when I have a question. In this case, I'm wondering exactly how one can connect various vintage Moogs to make a 4-5 oscillator monster. I am currently the owner of a beautiful MicroMoog, and in the market for a Prodigy. However, upon consulting the MicroMoog owner's manual, I've learned that it is possible for a MicroMoog to communicate with other Moogs via the plethora of inputs and outputs on the back panel of the instrument. I have worked with the filter input, which is pretty cool. Due to the synth's age, routing vocals through it isn't really practical, as the signal gets a little battered by the time it reaches the recording unit.
But my real concern is with the six-prong "KBD" output. From what I understand, this can be used to connect to other Moogs, and thus control them in a MIDI-like fashion. I'm not sure if MicroMoogs are the only ones to have this unique output/input, although I'm pretty sure that's how a keybaord connects to an Arp 2600! But assuming this is only compatible with another MicroMoog, if I were to connect my current Micro to another, would all the information from the slave pass to the master? In short, would I be able to double my patch-making capability? Even more so, would this make the master Micro duophonic? I'm quite interested in making my Micro the best synth it can be. I am also curious as to what the other inputs, such as the OSC input, can do! Thanks in advance!
How do original Moogs talk to eachother to make a supersynth
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LetsGetElectric
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How do original Moogs talk to eachother to make a supersynth
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The six-prong jack provides only power rails for Moog accessories. There are no trigger/CV lines on this plug. It is *NOT* the same pinout used on the ARP 2600 keyboard, do not attempt to connect these two or you will damage them.
You use the two-prong TRIG jack for triggering. This is a switch trigger, as a simple switch that shorts to ground will trigger an external Moog synth.
Almost everybody else used a voltage trigger and a converter is needed to interface the two. The disadvantage of voltage triggers is that no two manufacturers use the same voltage levels for trigger - one used, 5V, another used 9V, another used 12V.
The Micromoog has a KBD CV jack. Later units have a pot above this jack which varies the output CV between 0.90 and 1.10 v/oct. If this pot is missing, the jack puts out a fixed 1v/oct CV, output only. If you turn the pot all the way CCW past its "click" position, it converts the KBD CV jack from output to input. So if you want a "slave" micromoog, you need a later model with this pot. The advantage of using KBD CV as an input point over OSC input is that the filter cutoff tracks the former but not the latter.
You can link mutiple Micromoogs/Multimoogs together using trigger and KBD CV jacks. It will not create duophonic operation - monophonic only.
OSC input jack accepts external CV sources for changing the pitch of the VCO. Moog used to make optional S&H and ribbon controllers for this purpose, but you can use any modern synth module (even Moogerfoogers with LFO outputs) on this jack. FILTER is like OSC, it accepts a CV to vary the cutoff frequency. The MODULATION jack can use a passive footpedal to act as the mod wheel. It requires a 3/16" TRS plug. The reason they use an oddball size jack is that it is not a CV input jack, it requires a resistance device. 3/16" plugs are really hard to find; if you really want to use this jack, it's a lot easier to replace it with a TRS 1/4" jack.
The AUDIO jack is an audio input to the filter whose input is line level; if you plug a mic or guitar into this it will not work well. Mics/guitars are very low level signals and you need a 40-60dB preamp to use them with the filter input - the preamp amplifies the mic level to line level.
You use the two-prong TRIG jack for triggering. This is a switch trigger, as a simple switch that shorts to ground will trigger an external Moog synth.
Almost everybody else used a voltage trigger and a converter is needed to interface the two. The disadvantage of voltage triggers is that no two manufacturers use the same voltage levels for trigger - one used, 5V, another used 9V, another used 12V.
The Micromoog has a KBD CV jack. Later units have a pot above this jack which varies the output CV between 0.90 and 1.10 v/oct. If this pot is missing, the jack puts out a fixed 1v/oct CV, output only. If you turn the pot all the way CCW past its "click" position, it converts the KBD CV jack from output to input. So if you want a "slave" micromoog, you need a later model with this pot. The advantage of using KBD CV as an input point over OSC input is that the filter cutoff tracks the former but not the latter.
You can link mutiple Micromoogs/Multimoogs together using trigger and KBD CV jacks. It will not create duophonic operation - monophonic only.
OSC input jack accepts external CV sources for changing the pitch of the VCO. Moog used to make optional S&H and ribbon controllers for this purpose, but you can use any modern synth module (even Moogerfoogers with LFO outputs) on this jack. FILTER is like OSC, it accepts a CV to vary the cutoff frequency. The MODULATION jack can use a passive footpedal to act as the mod wheel. It requires a 3/16" TRS plug. The reason they use an oddball size jack is that it is not a CV input jack, it requires a resistance device. 3/16" plugs are really hard to find; if you really want to use this jack, it's a lot easier to replace it with a TRS 1/4" jack.
The AUDIO jack is an audio input to the filter whose input is line level; if you plug a mic or guitar into this it will not work well. Mics/guitars are very low level signals and you need a 40-60dB preamp to use them with the filter input - the preamp amplifies the mic level to line level.