Minimoog plug in instrument differences.

[Folkcafe]

Or what I might call the variations in what would be considered "faithful" reproduction.

In the 70's, I was friends with a number of keyboard players. I really wish I had taken the time to figure out how synthesizers worked back then. Recently I decided to see what it would take to recreate some of the Pink Floyd sounds. Enter the Minimoog comparison.

I picked up the SampleTank V2 Max bundle for really cheap. Not so much for just the MiniMod but it was on my list of instruments to check out getting anyway. Starting just with Osc 1, Filter and Amp settings, right out of the box sounded really off for some reason. Trying to recreate old school patch settings wasn't going to work and after a day of trying to tune by ear, no dice. Somewhat close but even with Chorus and Delay, couldn't get close enough.

Do a bunch more reading through reviews and Reddit. The Arturia Mini V is just out of my price league at least at full price. A number of people suggest the Universal Audio or even directly from Moog, though requires a wrapper to work apparently which was off putting. A number of reports that it was also buggy. Cheap enough though, still haven't decided to give it a go.

Was looking at a couple other UA plug in and got an offer via email for two for $99. So I pulled the trigger on UA version. Closer but somehow still off. Perhaps more time dialing it in. Spent the evening yesterday working on it. Just doesn't quite sound right.

This morning I was watching some videos on synth programming and a few videos for Cherry Audio's MiniVerse, which also has the option of being polyphonic. Interesting and also on sale. Watched a few reviews, decided to give it a try.

Thus far, the MiniVerse starting from a full reset, dialed in as I had hoped. Very quickly, I was able to set it up and tweak it. Haven't even gone through any of the presets. Created and saved a couple of my own and if those are the only ones I use, it will be worth the $40 I spent.

Wish I knew more before I started this. It would have been a bit cheaper but that is the cost of learning I suppose.

 

[Slouching Raymond]

I was largely against virtual instruments, having lived through the 70's, and lusted after the real stuff.
Thought I'd give it a go, and bought the Arturia Minimoog soft synth.
The preset voices it came with were impressive, but I just didnt like tweeking knobs with a mouse.
That was really the end of the soft synth road for me.
There's so much going on with hardware synth development today.

 

[Folkcafe]

I was largely against virtual instruments, having lived through the 70's, and lusted after the real stuff.
Thought I'd give it a go, and bought the Arturia Minimoog soft synth.
The preset voices it came with were impressive, but I just didnt like tweeking knobs with a mouse.
That was really the end of the soft synth road for me.
There's so much going on with hardware synth development today.

Sounds like you still are against it. I'm two months into this but I know how to map midi knobs and faders if that were an issue for me. I'm also a guitar player taking piano lessons. A hardware Minimoog D is only $5k, pocket change really. An analog synth of any type is not really in the cards for me at the moment.

I'm aware of the trends with modular analog synths. I'm also completely inexperienced and just now learning how sound synthesis works. I got the Waves Element synth as a starting point and read through the documentation, which is of little help. Found a few helpful videos and am only beginning to barely understand how it works. Considered taking one of the Udemy courses but in previewing them, they pretty much are a guarantee that I won't suffer insomnia, not that many of the Youtube videos were any better.

In the end, the point of this was lost. Some of these are marketed as faithful recreations. If so, why do they vary so. I'm talking from a sonic perspective which is one area I am at least confident. I picked Pink Floyd because I would be able to recognize it in my sleep. The sound is iconic and the patch settings well documented.

So let me ask a question. Are you a keyboard player primarily and do you just prefer hardware keyboards?

 

[Slouching Raymond]

So let me ask a question. Are you a keyboard player primarily and do you just prefer hardware keyboards?

First, I'm a guitar player. A bit of a drummer. Been working at sight-reading piano for some years - progress, but slow.
I'd rather have a real synth than just a picture of one.
Many synths have desktop versions, but I prefer the versions with keys, because then you have a complete instrument.

 

[Folkcafe]

First, I'm a guitar player. A bit of a drummer. Been working at sight-reading piano for some years - progress, but slow.
I'd rather have a real synth than just a picture of one.
Many synths have desktop versions, but I prefer the versions with keys, because then you have a complete instrument.

Sounds like we've got a bit in common.

As a guitar player, it has been a struggle to really get in-depth with music theory. On piano, it is just laid out right in front of you. I regret not doing this years ago. That said, technology is making it a bit easier to access information and learning.

Recently a friend and I were talking, and he mentioned how he regretted selling his old keyboards. Minimoog, Cat and Crumar Orchestrator were among his list. Basically 70's essentials. I regretted not taking advantage of having access to them. I have a background in electronics so I know how oscilators and filters function, just trying to wrap my head around the concept of sound synthesis. Probably a phase and will pass, but am enjoying learning piano.

I have drums in the studio but not much of a player. I've taken my own samples of different tunings and just finger tap what I want into the computer.

For me, I'm past any of the purity tests. Technology has become far better at being an instrument than I am as a musician. My thinking all started to change when I picked up Amplitube. Previously I'd futz around with my various tube amps and pedals to get that "perfect" tone. Got a few small single ended tube amps where you can swap out pre and output tubes to your hearts content. Spent a small fortune on vintage tubes. For what? Music almost no one will ever hear and those that do are likely listening to an MP3 through cheap ear buds. I'm satisfied if I can just capture a clever idea. It doesn't have to be a sonic masterpiece, just good. I'm an audience of one and there is no point in spending a fortune on this. I do regret selling off all my vintage microphones years ago when I decided I was done with recording and live sound. Still, good cheap mics are good enough.

 

[Slouching Raymond]

. I have a background in electronics

Even more in common. I was an electronics design engineer for decades.

 

[Papanate]

Or what I might call the variations in what would be considered "faithful" reproduction.

In the 70's, I was friends with a number of keyboard players. I really wish I had taken the time to figure out how synthesizers worked back then. Recently I decided to see what it would take to recreate some of the Pink Floyd sounds. Enter the Minimoog comparison.

I picked up the SampleTank V2 Max bundle for really cheap. Not so much for just the MiniMod but it was on my list of instruments to check out getting anyway. Starting just with Osc 1, Filter and Amp settings, right out of the box sounded really off for some reason. Trying to recreate old school patch settings wasn't going to work and after a day of trying to tune by ear, no dice. Somewhat close but even with Chorus and Delay, couldn't get close enough.

Do a bunch more reading through reviews and Reddit. The Arturia Mini V is just out of my price league at least at full price. A number of people suggest the Universal Audio or even directly from Moog, though requires a wrapper to work apparently which was off putting. A number of reports that it was also buggy. Cheap enough though, still haven't decided to give it a go.

Was looking at a couple other UA plug in and got an offer via email for two for $99. So I pulled the trigger on UA version. Closer but somehow still off. Perhaps more time dialing it in. Spent the evening yesterday working on it. Just doesn't quite sound right.

This morning I was watching some videos on synth programming and a few videos for Cherry Audio's MiniVerse, which also has the option of being polyphonic. Interesting and also on sale. Watched a few reviews, decided to give it a try.

Thus far, the MiniVerse starting from a full reset, dialed in as I had hoped. Very quickly, I was able to set it up and tweak it. Haven't even gone through any of the presets. Created and saved a couple of my own and if those are the only ones I use, it will be worth the $40 I spent.

Wish I knew more before I started this. It would have been a bit cheaper but that is the cost of learning I suppose.

I wish I knew what you are talking about - SoftSynth - , guitar plugs - Guitar Hardware Plugs - hardware Synths? I long ago committed to Software - Synths, Compression, Plates, Chambers - Samplers etc…I can get exact tones with my Guitars using Helix/Helix Native - I can the exact sound of Synths with my SoftSynths - but only from the 80s onward were we started getting digital synths (Roland D50 For example) - but things like the Moog have a ton of variables to the Hardware- and that Randomness is hard to duplicate - I can get close but no cigar to my ears.

 

[Folkcafe]

I wish I knew what you are talking about

Then I have failed at communications. No problem, just highlighting how different I found three virtual versions of the same instrument. You highlight the probable root cause.

I will say, it is getting far closer than some would like to admit.

In electronics, they have long been able to design multi-layer boards and model them to determine the impacts of capacitance and inductance, crosstalk and so forth of all the trace layouts. A virtual debugging prior to even building one PC board. Modeling analog circuits is nothing new and has been around for over 20 years. It will get better.

I wanted a very specific set of sounds out of a virtual Minimoog. One is extremely close. I imagine the combination of them might get me most of what I am looking for with some tweaking. Still considering the Arturia if a good deal on it come up. $200, not so much. Not trying to say much else. If this lands flat, ignore and move on.