A
monophonic analog synthesizer with a 44-note (F-C)
keyboard.
One of the most
famous pieces of
equipment of its kind. 12000 units were produced and sold between
1970 and the early
80s.
The concept behind the MiniMoog was to make a portable version of the company's big modular systems, allowing users to take the Moog sound out to a gig. After numerous futuristic designs, consulting with musicians led to the wooden frame and the liftable control panel.
Initially the designers though they'd have to constantly update the synth, but the fourth "prototype" (Model D) was the first and last revision the original manufacturer produced commercially.
The MiniMoog features 3 VCOs with sawtooth, pulse (with 3 pulse widths) and triangle waveforms. VCO3 offers reverse sawtooth and can be use as an LFO. A white / pink noise generator is also included. The oscillators have independent tuning and a 6-octave range.
As a filter there is a 24dB/octave resonant low-pass VCF with controls for cut-off and resonance levels. Like the VCA, it has its own ADS/ADR envelope generator and switchable keyboard tracking. This famous patented VCF is often described to be very warm sounding, and the synth makes use of it by featuring an audio input for modulating an external source.
A mixer section is included for mixing the 5 sound sources. Other features include pitch bend and modulation wheels, switchable glide and decay plus a 440Hz tone for tuning.
For external control the unit offers CV and S-Trig interfaces. The CV is 1.2 volts/octave, but a modification is relatively easy to make.
In the 90s there were numerous false alarms about a new manufacturer reissuing Moog equipment. But now the MiniMoog is actually back in production. The new version adds more reliable oscillators, a basic MIDI implementation, velocity & pressure sensitivity receiving and other improvements. According to reviews it is indeed close to the real thing, but with a price tag of over $2000.
The new manufacturer's website is located at http://www.moogsynthesizers.co.uk/.
Prototypes:
Model A
Quickly constructed by Chad Hunt and Bill
Hemsath. It consisted of a bunch of modules from the Model 900 modular, wired together in a walnut casing with a small keyboard and a pitch bend knob. Even this first version had 3 oscillators.
1 unit built.
Model B
Similar to Model A, but with the modules connecting to a single integrated panel instead of just being stacked in a line.
2 units built.
Model C
The circuitry in this third revision was completely redesigned, and was very similar to the final D version. The synth still had pots instead of wheels as the pitch and mod controllers.
14 units built.
The MiniMoog was released right after the
fusion of Moog and
MuSonics, before the company took on the name
Moog Music. Because of this, a small amount of units with "Moog MuSonics MiniMoog"
legend exist. Apart from the label they are identical to the more common model.
Repicients of the First 10 Original MiniMoogs:
serial# name date
---------------------------------------------------------------
1001 Walter Sear November 19, 1970
1002 Daniel N. Flickinger January 1, 1971
1003 Mrs. R.C. Townsend January 4, 1971
1004-1008 Daniel N. Flickinger January 9, 1971
1009 Dag Fellner, Feldon Recording Ltd. January 13, 1971
1010 Fred Arthur Productions January 18, 1971
A list of the first ~200 Minis can be found in
http://www.moogarchives.com/
Information collected from all around the web and reconstructed by yours truly. No cut'n'paste accusations for me, thanks.
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