Extended reissue of the Minimoog synthesizer (1970-1982)
3 oscillators with 6 waveforms each
Noise generator (white & pink)
Mixer with 5 inputs
Audio input for external signals
24dB Lowpass filter (Moog Ladder VCF)
2 ADS envelopes
1 LFO (triangle & square)
Switchable keyboard tracking
Monophonic
Keyboard glide
Modulation bus
440 Hz test tone generator
Separately adjustable headphone amplifier
Foldable panel
44 keys
MIDI In/Out/Thru
Audio input
CV outputs for Pitch, Velocity, Aftertouch & V-Trig (Gate)
CV inputs for Pitch, VCA, Cutoff, Mod Source & V-Trig (Gate)
It doesn't get much more original than this: the Minimoog Model D 2022 Edition by Moog is a subtly expanded and modernized reissue of the only true Minimoog synthesizer aka Model D, which was once built from 1970 to 1982. At that time, the Minimoog was a compact and thus stage-ready compilation of the most important module from the famous Moog modular system including keyboard and is not only because of its logical structure the blueprint for most analog and later digital synthesizers that have appeared since the Minimoog. The massive and voluminous sound of the Model D has been inspiring musicians of various genres and listeners alike for over 50 years. Anyone who knows music by Klaus Schulze, Tangerine Dream, Keith Emerson, Herbie Hancock or Rick Wakeman (YES) has already heard the Minimoog.
Proven in the long-term perspective
Since all parameters are scaled extremely well, it's easy to create sounds that sit right on the spot with the controls. According to old fathers' custom, the control panel of the 2022 Edition is also foldable in several steps, so you can quickly set up the optimal working angle on the device. That the Minimoog is an instrument for players and performers is underlined not only by the high-quality workmanship, the large controls, the tiltable panel and the short 44-key keyboard, but also by the handwheels for Pitchbend and modulation, which were new at the time and are taken for granted today, and the lack of memory slots, which did not exist in the late 1960s when the Minimoog was developed. The instrument really comes alive through the constant interaction with the knobs and wants to be played.
Analog power in its original form
The Model D is monophonic playable and still scores with a fully analog signal path. Each of the three oscillators has six waveforms (triangle, sharktooth, sawtooth, square, two pulse variants) and a wide frequency range of five octaves plus low. Oscillators 2 and 3 are additionally equipped with fine controls to set smaller frequency intervals. Characteristic for Moog oscillators are a certain impact and radiance, which have significantly shaped the distinctive sound. The following mixer offers a total of five inputs with level controls and mute switches, three of which are dedicated to the oscillators, the other two for the noise generator, which produces either white or pink noise, and the audio input. The elaborately generated sound spectrum leads into a resonant 24dB Lowpass filter, which most might know as the Moog filter of all. The Cutoff goes down really low and lets only the very lowest bass through when needed. The resonance reaches up to the stratosphere and tends, at higher values, to the strong coloring of the sound, which in the case of the Minimoog should be the case and in retrospect, desired. The last element in the Model D's signal path is a VCA whose level behavior is controlled by an attack/decay/sustain envelope. In the output section there is also a test tone generator that produces concert pitch A 440 Hertz, an important tool to tune these oscillators accurately.
Modulation means life
Modulations in the Minimoog are subject to a certain purism, so you find two ADS envelopes, which are permanently assigned to the filter and the VCA. The cutoff parameter can follow the played notes, in addition a switchable four-stage keyboard tracking (off - 1/3 & 2/3 - 3/3) is integrated. On the left of the control panel is the controller area, besides Glide you can set here which modulation source is allowed to affect the oscillators and/or the filter. Oscillator 3 respectively the filter envelope and noise respectively the LFO are available for selection. Mixtures from two sources are also possible. Since oscillator 3 can be decoupled from the pitch control, it can be used as a second LFO respectively as FM source. The intensity of the modulation source(s) is controlled by the modulation wheel to the left of the keyboard.
Connections & special tricks
In terms of connections, the Minimoog Model D 2022 Edition is quite close to its ancestor. In terms of control, the MIDI trio is the most advanced interface in this instrument. The keyboard and MIDI interface generate Pitch and Gate as well as Aftertouch and Velocity; however, the last two are not processed by the internal sound generation. On the input side, gate, pitch, filter, loudness (VCA) and mod source are offered for processing control voltages. In this respect, Aftertouch and Velocity can very well be routed to these destinations via patch cables. Since this Model D generates and accepts V-Trig (gate) instead of the aged S-Trig (Schmitt trigger), the synthesizer is compatible with Eurorack modules, among others. Audio is output with higher and lower level mono, right next to it is the audio input, which has its own level control in the mixer section. This is where one of the best-known tricks for giving the Minimoog more sound variation is "hidden": simply patch one of the two outputs to the input, level it in the mixer and turn up the resonance, and the adjustable filter feedback shows its effect. The sound is fuller, much more resonant, clippier and a bit less predictable; still a hot tip - elsewhere this effect is called "brute factor".
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