Moog Music Forum

Howdy, I've finally acquired a beautiful and recently serviced Model D (SN #3707) for a more than reasonable price and just have a few questions.

1. Key noise. It almost sounds like the key contacts are very percussive. The action is much better then I expected (the keys are actually level with each other, which seems to be rare for this beast). Is the key contract noise normal? EDIT: This seems to have gone away entirely. I'm guessing it was because it was just settling into my home.

2. Filter. Compared to the sweep on the Voyager, the filter here seems very anticlimactic. Is this normal as well? Can someone post a sample of them sweeping their model D's filter with just a single oscillator on? EDIT: I'm still not 100% sure, but I think it was my poor programming that caused the filter to sound dull. It feels weird having the emphasis and contour controls making SO much of a difference.

3. Oscillator and Filter Mod: How do I control the parameters of these? It sort of just distorts the sound and slightly bends the pitch upward on mine.

4. The power light keeps flashing and never settles. I doubt it's normal because it's so spaced and erratic. Is this bad wiring?

Regardless of these things, I absolutely love it. I know most Model D owners must feel like this, but DAMN, mine sounds particularly good. The leads sound just as good as the Voyager (probably better, but I can't program a sound to save my life) but the low end kicks the crap out of it. Any pointers or places you can direct me to to learn more about getting the most out of this wonderful synth would be appreciated.

3. you mean audio frequency FM of the filter or the oscillators by Osc 3? Due to the analog nature of the oscillators, the waveshapes are not perfectly centered at the zero line. So if you apply to much modulation, you get an offset in pitch. Try using triangle wave. On my Mini this waveshape got only a very tiny offset.

And the sound will change very much depending on the keyboard controll of Osc 3 being on or off. And yes, analog FM get you some nasty sounds.

The amount of FM is controlled by the modwheel. And be sure to set the modulation mix (knob above the mod wheel) to Osc 3 and not towards noise.

1. If you're hearing a lot of noise, it means the pads that prevent the keys from clicking have worn. Or, at least that's what I've been told about my own. I haven't taken it apart yet.

2. I don't know what you're expecting from the filter. Sweeps are merely one thing you can do with any filter, and they are not necessarily indicative of that which makes a Moog filter pleasant. I have no idea what you mean by emphasis and contour making so much of a difference. On the Minimoog they make no more or less difference from any other synthesizer, apart from having a richer, fatter sound.

3. The Oscillator and Filter modulation is controlled by oscillator 3. Do you see on your oscillator three that you can set it to the "lo" setting? That makes oscillator three a low frequency oscillator... which means it can affect the pitch and filter cutoff point in the same way a traditional LFO does. Then, when you apply the mod wheel, you apply the standard effect and control the speed with osc 3's tuning knob, or the waveform with the waveform. If you're looking for frequency modulation effects, set osc 3 to audio oscillator settings and experiment with waveforms and octave settings for a great range of effects. Some of those effects could be described as "distortion" or "pitch bending" depending on the octave or waveform settings of osc 3, and whether you have oscillator modulation or filter modulation on. Remember also that the "osc three control" switch makes a big difference, as it controls whether keyboard CV is controlling the pitch of your oscillator or not... and works even if you're in the "lo" setting.

Joog wrote: 2. Filter. Compared to the sweep on the Voyager, the filter here seems very anticlimactic. Is this normal as well? Can someone post a sample of them sweeping their model D's filter with just a single oscillator on?

I usually leave the Filter's Envelope Amount pot on my Mini around or even below the half way point. I find that the filter opens up way too much when the Envelope setting is much more than have way up. Because it imparts such an unusual character on the overall sound, I mostly like my Mini's Filter fairly well closed and with little or no resonance.

The parameters of the Envelope itself are also quite different on the Mini compared to most other synths I've played. I think it's the way that each parameter (A,D,S) is so dependent on the other that can make the Mini's env slope a little temperamental.

Joog wrote: 4. The power light keeps flashing and never settles. I doubt it's normal because it's so spaced and erratic. Is this bad wiring?

Mine does this too, ever since I first opened it up. I'm sure that it must be something grounding where it shouldn't be, but I can't figure out where.

Joog wrote: Any pointers or places you can direct me to to learn more about getting the most out of this wonderful synth would be appreciated.

I love the raw oscillators on the Mini (despite what I said about keeping the filter closed). They are just so much more acoustic sounding than almost any other keyboard I've played. It's very mysterious. The way they interact is so wonderful. So, I like to make patches where they are detuned at different intervals. With a osc1: saw and osc2: narrow pulse width, both in a high octave, but detuned, I get what sounds to me like thin rattling trumpets. This sound gets better with a little bit of slope set on the attack, and the filter closed a bit. Add in some saw wave LFO modulation and then it turns into space trumpets.

Which reminds me of something else I love about the Mini, the modulation can get super strong. That saw wave just beats into the over-all sound like a ponding kick drum--and it all sounds so organic... but electronic too... hard to verbalize these things I suppose.

The one thing I definitely do not like about the Mini is it's size and weight. I love the way it looks, but if you put it side by side with nearly any other mono, it looks bizzarrely awkward and out of proportion. I wish it had the same design, but only scaled down. The front wooden "bumber" below the keys, for instance, what is all that space there for? The internal part of the key assembly doesn't take up that much room... The whole thing is just over-sized... but besides that...

Thanks, I've gotten everything but the light under control from that. Now I have one more question.

5. When Oscillator Mod is activated and the Modulation Mix favours Oscillator 3, the pitch sharpens as I increase the mod wheel's position. I've tried changing every facet of oscillator 3's modulation capabilities but this doesn't change anything? Is this normal, or does something need to be recalibrated?