Moog Music Grandmother User Manual

Everything has some consciousness,

and we tap into that. It is about

“

energy at its most basic level.

- Dr. Robert Moog -

”

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

WARNING - WHEN USING ELECTRIC PRODUCTS, THESE BASIC PRECAUTIONS SHOULD ALWAYS BE FOLLOWED:

1. Read all the instructions before using the product.

2. Do not use this product near water - for example, near a bathtub, washbowl, kitchen sink, in a wet basement, or near a swimming pool or the like.

3. This product, in combination with an amplier and headphones or speakers, may be capable of producing sound

levels that could cause permanent hearing loss. Do not operate for a long period of time at a high volume level or at a level that is uncomfortable.

4. The product should be located so that its location does not interfere with its proper ventilation.

5. The product should be located away from heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, or other products that produce heat. No naked ame sources (such as candles, lighters, etc.) should be placed near this product. Do not

operate in direct sunlight.

6. The product should be connected to a power supply only of the type described in the operating instructions or

as marked on the product.

7. The power supply cord of the product should be unplugged from the outlet when left unused for a long period

of time or during lightning storms.

8. Care should be taken so that objects do not fall, and liquids are not spilled, into the enclosure through openings.

There are no user serviceable parts inside. Refer all servicing to qualied personnel only.

NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant

to Part 15 of the FCC rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference

in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications.

However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does

cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

—Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna. —Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver. —Connect the equipment to an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected. —Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

CAUTION: Please note that any changes or modications made to this product not expressly approved

by Moog Music Inc. could void the user’s authority granted by the FCC to operate the equipment.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

UNPACKING & INSPECTION

SETUP & CONNECTIONS

INTRODUCTION

GRANDMOTHER OVERVIEW

SIGNAL FLOW

FEATURES & CONTROLS

KEYBOARD

LEFT-HAND CONTROLLER

OSCILLATORS

MIXER

FILTER

ENVELOPE (ADSR)

OUTPUT

MODULATION

UTILITIES

ARP / SEQ

SEQUENCER – GETTING STARTED

REAR PANEL

FINE TUNE

AUDIO

ARP / SEQ CV

MIDI

GLOBAL SETTINGS

CHANGING THE MIDI CHANNEL

MIDI CLOCK SETUP

LOCAL ON / OFF

NOTE PRIORITY

PITCH BEND RANGE

EXTERNAL CLOCK MODE

EXTERNAL CLOCK INPUT PPQN

CLOCK OUTPUT PPQN

PATCH POINT INDEX

FRONT PANEL

REAR PANEL

MIDI DOCUM E N TAT I O N

PRESETS

BLANK PRESET SHEETS

WARRANTY

SPECIFICATIONS

SERVICE & SUPPORT INFORMATION

UNPACKING & INSPECTION

Check the contents of the shipping carton.

Be careful when unpacking your new Moog Grandmother® so that nothing is lost or damaged. Moog recommends saving the carton and all packing materials in case you ever need to ship the instrument for any reason.

The Grandmother ships with the following items:

Grandmother Semi-Modular Analog Synthesizer Power Supply Owner’s Manual Patch Cables Registration Card

What you will need:

A table or surface where you can set your Grandmother. A 1/4” instrument cable and amplied speaker or headphones with a 1/4” plug. A properly wired AC outlet.

SETUP & CONNECTIONS

Ampliﬁer or Headphones

Power Supply

POWER

Plug the included power adapter into the 12VDC power jack on the back of your Grandmother.

NOTE: The Grandmother’s universal power supply will operate with a power source from 100 to 240 Volts AC, 50/60Hz.

Plug the other end of the included power adapter into an AC outlet.

NOTE: Your Grandmother is an analog instrument and should be allowed 10-15 minutes to warm up before use. In cases where it has been left in a cold car overnight, for example, it may take as long as 25 minutes before oscillator tuning has stabilized. Do not operate Grandmother in direct sunlight.

AUDIO OUT / HEADPHONES

With the Master VOLUME control turned all the way down, plug one end of a 1/4” (TS) instrument cable into Grandmother’s AUDIO OUT jack on the rear panel.

Plug the other end into an amplied speaker or mixing console input. This jack can also be used with

a set of mono or stereo headphones.

WARNING: Do not use a TRS (balanced) cable for line output applications as this will cause phase cancellation and a very weak signal.

GRANDMOTHER OVERVIEW

Grandmother is a sonic playground that harkens back to Moog’s modular roots, where synthesis is not only about the end result, but also the journey of discovery and experimentation. While capable of highly complex sounds and modulation, Grandmother’s semi-modular design requires absolutely no patching, ensuring that human beings of any skill level can easily explore and experience the joys and magic of analog synthesis.

Inspired by the classic Moog modular synthesizers that came before it, Grandmother’s sound engine, modulation engine, and onboard spring reverb tank are completely analog, resulting in an unrestricted sonic vocabulary of immeasurable beauty and power. In addition, Grandmother also features an easyto-use Arpeggiator and Sequencer for added enjoyment and programmable syncopation.

Though not required, creative patching and exploration are the keys to discovering exciting new relationships between modules and to truly unlocking Grandmother’s innite expanse of auditory

inspiration. Patching can also be used to override internal connections, allowing each section to function just as an independent module would.

In addition to its standalone function, Grandmother is also an ideal analog audio processor for external

sound sources, and a powerful keyboard front end for expanding a Mother-32, DFAM, or any Eurorack modular system.

16’ 8’

32’

4’ 16’

MOD

PERFORMANCE

32-note keyboard with arpeggiator

and a 256-note sequencer with three sequence locations

SOUND SOURCES

Two voltage-controlled oscillators

with hard sync and a white noise

generator

ANALOG EFFECTS

6” spring reverb tank

8’ 4’

2’

200Hz 2kHz

20Hz 20kHz

SOUND BLENDING

3-channel mixer with an additional 1/4” external audio input

SOUND SHAPING

Classic 4-pole 10Hz to 20kHz Ladder lter and a patchable 1-pole high pass lter

UTILITIES

Patchable 4-point mult and a bipolar attenuator

SPRING REVERB

DYNAMICS

Analog ADSR envelope

MODULATION

Wide-range analog LFO with Sync input and a

Sample/Hold output

PATCH POINTS

41 patch points with 21 inputs and 20 outputs

SIGNAL FLOW

MOD OSC

OSC 1

OSC 2

FEATURES & CONTROLS

Grandmother groups panel controls together by module. Each module is also equipped with a set of modular patch points which greatly extend the capabilities of this expansive analog instrument.

KEYBOARD

Grandmother is equipped with a 32-note velocity-sensitive keyboard.

NOTE: There is no internal routing for keyboard velocity, but a connection can easily be made from the KB VEL OUT to the CUTOFF IN patch point in the Filter section.

LEFT HAND CONTROLLER

Grandmother’s Left-Hand Controller is home to numerous performance

and programming controls including PITCH and MOD wheels, a GLIDE control, and transport controls for the Arpeggiator and Sequencer.

MOD

ARP / SEQUENCER CONTROLS

The PL AY, HOLD, and TA P buttons provide access to, and control over, the ARP / SEQ module. When recording a

sequence, their function changes and they become the

(TIE), (REST), and (ACCENT) buttons. To learn more about the Arpeggiator and Sequencer, go to page 27.

OCTAVE TRANSPOSE

Grandmother is designed to behave and function like a

traditional analog instrument, but changing keyboard octaves

is a useful function for live performance and interfacing with

other MIDI equipped devices. To transpose the keyboard by octave units, simply press and hold the [SHIFT] button, and

then press the [<KB] button (down one octave) or [KB>]

button (up one octave).

PITCH

The PITCH wheel provides an intuitive method for quickly bending the pitch of the Oscillators up or down during live performance.

NOTE: The PITCH wheel is spring-loaded and will return to center position as soon as it is released.

LEFT HAND CONTROLLER (Continued)

MOD

The MOD wheel determines how much modulation is applied to the Filter Cutoff

frequency, the pitch of the Oscillators, and to the width of the Pulse waveforms. It scales the overall amount of modulation from Off to the maximum settings specied by the PITCH AMT, CUTOFF AMT, and PULSE WIDTH AMT knobs in the

MODULATION section.

MOD

GLIDE

Glide produces a smooth, continuous change in pitch between notes when transitioning from one note to the next. The GLIDE knob sets the amount of time needed to complete this transition. When the GLIDE knob is set to minimum, there is no Glide effect. Raising the value of the GLIDE knob will increase the Glide time between notes.

OSCILL ATO RS

32’

16’ 8’

4’ 16’

8’ 4’

TIP: Legato glide is useful when creating acid-style sequences. To turn Legato

Glide On, continue to press the HOLD button while turning the GLIDE knob to the right. To turn Legato Glide Off, continue to press the HOLD button while turning the GLIDE knob to the left. The Default is Off.

This is where the sound of the synthesizer is born. Grandmother

provides two oscillators of almost identical design, each with its

own Octave and Waveform settings. Oscillator 2 is equipped with a FREQUENCY knob to detune it from Oscillator 1.

2’

NOTE: There is a FINE TUNE knob located on the rear panel for adjusting the overall tuning of the instrument.

OSCILL ATO RS (Continued)

OSCILLATOR 1

32’

16’ 8’

4’

OSCILLATOR 1

OCTAVE

This four-position switch is used to select the fundamental Octave setting for Oscillator 1. The choices are 32’, 16’, 8’, and 4’.

SYNC

When this button is lit, the phase of Oscillator 2 is hard Sync’d to the phase of Oscillator 1. This will cause Oscillator 2 to reset at each zero-crossing of Oscillator 1. This forced synchronization causes the waveform of Oscillator 2 to take on a more complex wave shape as it works to stay aligned with Oscillator

1. Sync is useful for creating sharp, metallic, and ange-like sounds, while also ensuring that the pitch of Oscillator 2 stays locked to Oscillator 1.

TIP: Applying modulation to the Frequency of Oscillator 2 is a great way to enhance the Sync effect.

NOTE: When Sync is on and the Frequency of Oscillator 2 is set higher than that of Oscillator 1, Oscillator 2 will not be able to complete a full cycle before it is forced to reset,

resulting in little or no output.

HARD SYNC’D OSCILLATOR

WAVEFO R M

This four-position knob is used to select the Waveform setting for Oscillator 1.

The choices are Triangle, Saw, Square, and Narrow Pulse.

WAVE OUT

The audio signal coming from this output is determined by the settings of the Oscillator 1 O C TAVE and WAVE FORM knobs.

OSCILL ATOR 1 (Continued)

PITCH IN

A control signal connected to this input will modulate the Pitch (Frequency) of Oscillator 1. This input voltage is added to the voltage from the note played on the keyboard.

PWM IN

A control signal connected to this input will modulate the pulse width of

the Square or Narrow Pulse waveform selected by Oscillator 1. Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) varies the duty cycle, or pulse width of a wave, and thereby changes its harmonic content. Among other things, PWM is often used to

mimic the sound of ensembled strings and to thicken bass sounds.

OSCILLATOR 2

OCTAVE

This four-position switch is used to select the fundamental Octave setting for Oscillator 2. The choices are 16’, 8’, 4’, and 2’.

16’

8’ 4’

2’

FREQUENCY

This knob detunes Oscillator 2 from Oscillator 1 over a range of +/- 7

Global Settings.

semi-tones. The center position (12 O’clock) puts Oscillator 2 in unison with Oscillator 1. Increasing the value raises the pitch, decreasing the value lowers the pitch. When the SYNC button is lit, the pitch of Oscillator 2 is locked to Oscillator 1; in this case, changing the Frequency value will vary the degree of the Sync effect and effect harmonics. The range of the FREQUENCY knob is also greatly increased.

NOTE: The range of the FREQUENCY knob can be specied in the

WAVEFO R M

This four-position knob is used to select the Waveform setting for Oscillator 2. The choices are Triangle, Saw, Square, and Narrow Pulse.

OSCILL ATOR 2 (Continued)

WAVE OUT

The audio signal coming from this output is determined by the settings of the Oscillator 2 O C TAV E , FREQUENCY, and WAVE FORM knobs, as well as the

state of the SYNC button.

PITCH IN

A control signal connected to this input will modulate the Pitch (Frequency) of Oscillator 2. This input voltage is added to the voltage from the note played on the keyboard.

LIN FM IN

Connecting an audio signal or high-frequency control signal to this input introduces Linear Frequency Modulation (FM) to Oscillator 2, which can

be used to create brash, metallic, or bell-like tones.

WAVEFORM S

Each waveform has unique harmonic content that is based on the number and strength of the

harmonic overtones that it contains. These overtones are what impart a particular timbre, or

character, to the sound of an Oscillator.

TRIANGLE

The Triangle wave has an extremely strong fundamental, yet contains only odd-numbered harmonics at very low levels. This makes the Triangle wave an ideal choice for creating soft, ute-like sounds that have a pure tone with little overtone activity.

TIP: Try mixing a triangle wave from one oscillator with a more complex wave from another to emphasize one particular harmonic without adding unwanted overtones.

SAW TOOTH

The Sawtooth wave is the most harmonically dense of the four waveform options, containing all of the natural harmonics in relatively strong levels. In addition to creating thick, brassy sounds, the Sawtooth wave lends itself to

powerful lead, brass, and bass sounds as well.

WAVEFORM S (Continued)

PULSE WAVES (SQUARE & NARROW PULSE)

A pulse wave contains only odd-numbered harmonics. Think of it as a switch you can turn off and on hundreds of times per second. Pulse width, or duty cycle, is the percentage of time that the wave is “on”. Every pulse width has its own unique harmonic structure, making a variety of basic timbres possible.

SQUARE

A Square wave is simply a pulse wave with 50% duty cycle, meaning that in a single cycle, it is on half the time and off half the time. If its frequency is 440Hz, that means it goes on and off 440 times every second. Square waves sound

hollow and provide a rich starting point for oboe and bass sounds.

NARROW PULSE

As a pulse wave continues to get narrower, lower numbered harmonics—both

odd and even—are emphasized. The resulting timbre takes on a more reedy, or

nasal tone.

TIP: Varying the duty cycle of the Pulse wave can result in a wide variety of lush or chorus-like sounds. With at least one Pulse wave selected, try experimenting

with the PULSE WIDTH AMT knob in the Modulation section and listen to how modulating this waveform affects the sound.

MIXER

The Mixer is where all of the sound sources within Grandmother are blended together before being passed on to the Filter. Patch points in the Mixer allow each hardwired source (Oscillator 1, Oscillator 2, Noise) to be replaced with an external

audio signal.

NOTE: The MIXER is DC coupled, which means it can be used to sum multiple control voltages. Combining audio signals and control signals will yield results that may or may not be desirable.

OSCILLATOR 1

The OSCI L L AT O R 1 knob sets the level of Oscillator 1 as it enters the mixer. Settings above 1 O’clock will begin to impart gentle distortion, while higher

settings will result in more overdriven tones.

MIXER (Continued)

OSCILLATOR 2

The OSCI L L AT O R 2 knob sets the level of Oscillator 2 as it enters the mixer. Settings above 1 O’clock will begin to impart gentle distortion, while higher

settings will result in more overdriven tones.

NOISE

The NOISE knob sets the level of Grandmother’s white noise generator as it enters the mixer. Settings above 1 O’clock will begin to impart gentle

distortion, while higher settings will result in more overdriven tones. Noise is an un-pitched sound source that can be a useful tool for creating explosive

percussion sounds, or for adding a gentle breath to the synthesized wind instruments like utes.

OSC 1 IN

When an external sound source is patched to this input, Oscillator 1 will be

removed from the signal path, and the OSCILL ATO R 1 knob will control the level of the new source.

OSC 2 IN

When an external sound source is patched to this input, Oscillator 2 will be

removed from the signal path, and the OSCILL ATO R 2 knob will control the level of the new source.

NOISE IN

When an external sound source is patched to this input, the Noise generator

will be removed from the signal path, and the NOISE knob will control the level of the new source.

OUTPUT

The combined signal of all sources connected to the mixer is available at this output.

TIP: Try patching from the MIXER OUTPUT to the INPUT of the High Pass Filter in the Utilities section. Then patch from the OUTPUT of the High Pass to the

INPUT of the Low Pass Filter. Now you have two lters for sculpting sounds.

FI LTER

200Hz 2kHz

20Hz 20kHz

Grandmother relies on a classic -24dB/octave Moog Low Pass Ladder Filter. The term “Ladder” stems from the hardware design of the original lter, which has transistors wired in a type of ladder conguration. Low Pass indicates that the Filter is selectively removing

harmonic content in the upper part of the audio spectrum, while allowing the lower frequencies to pass unaffected - this is the essence

of a low pass lter, and the foundation of subtractive analog synthesis. Finally, the -24dB specication indicates how frequencies are attenuated above the Cutoff frequency. In this case, harmonic content is rolled off at a rate of -24dB per octave.

CUTOFF

200Hz 2kHz

20Hz 20kHz

NOTE: Filter Cutoff is one of the most effective parameters to apply modulation to. Doing so allows the sound to have motion and character, without interfering with the ability to play “tonal” music in the way that applying modulation to the Oscillators’ frequency might.

The CUTOFF knob species the frequency at which the Filter begins to attenuate (or reduce) harmonic content, from 10Hz to 20kHz. Harmonic content occurring above the Cutoff frequency is attenuated, while sounds occurring below the Cutoff frequency will pass through unaffected. As the Cutoff frequency is lowered, less harmonic content is able to pass, resulting in a progressively darker sound. Raising the Cutoff frequency opens the Filter, and more harmonic content is able to pass, creating a progressively

brighter sound.

KBD TR ACK

Keyboard Tracking allows the value of the note played on the keyboard to also affect the Cutoff frequency of the Filter. Higher notes on the keyboard will be perceived as being brighter than notes played lower on the keyboard. This is how many acoustic instruments sound in nature; higher pitched notes have more upper harmonic energy and appear to be brighter.

1:2

In the 1:2 position, the value of the note played on the keyboard will affect the Cutoff frequency at half of its full value. This means that playing a note two octaves above another will only raise the Cutoff frequency by one octave.

OFF

In the OFF position, the keyboard Tracking is off, and the value of the note played on the keyboard will have no effect on the Cutoff frequency.

KBD TRACKING (Continued)

1:1

In the 1:1 position, the value of the note played on the keyboard will affect the Cutoff frequency at full value. This means that playing a note two octaves above another will raise the Cutoff frequency by a full two octaves.

TECH NOTE: The Keyboard Tracking value in the 1:1 selection is 1 Volt-per-Octave.

TIP: Turn the OSCILLATOR 1 and 2 knobs in the mixer all the way down, and turn the NOISE knob half

way up. Now, set the RESONANCE knob to its middle position and set the KBD TRACK switch to 1:1. This will allow the Filter to be played from the keyboard while also creating an eerie sound.

ENVELOPE AMT

The ENVELOPE AMT knob determines how much of the control signal

frequency over time, the Attack parameter will lower the Cutoff frequency by the same amount, in the

same period of time.

created by the Envelope will be applied to the Filter’s Cutoff frequency over

time. This knob is bipolar, so turning the ENVELOPE AMT knob clockwise

from center will raise the Filter’s Cutoff frequency from the CUTOFF knob’s current setting. Turning it counterclockwise from center will lower the Filter’s Cutoff frequency from the CUTOFF knob’s current setting.

NOTE: Negative, or inverse, modulation simply ips the shape of the Envelope generator. Instead of the Attack parameter raising the Cutoff

RESONANCE

Resonance takes a portion of the Filter’s output and sends it back to the input of the Filter, creating emphasis at the Filter’s Cutoff frequency. This is useful for adding focus, articulation, or “frickin’ laser beams” to a sound.

NOTE: Adding Resonance may reduce the overall volume or bottom-end of a

sound. This is normal.

TIP: Turn the RESONANCE knob all the way up and lower the CUTOFF knob to about 10 O’clock to cause the Filter to self-oscillate. Then set the KBD TRACK switch to 1:1 to play the Filter from the keyboard as a Sine wave oscillator.

INPUT

An audio signal from an internal or external module can be introduced to the

Filter using this input. Any sound source applied to this input will disconnect

the normalled Mixer Output signal from the input of the Filter.

NOTE: Do not use this input to introduce an instrument or line-level signal. The

high-impedance 1/4” INSTRUMENT IN jack on the rear panel is available for

these purposes.

OUTPUT

The audio signal exiting the Filter is available at this output.

TIP: Patching from the Output of the Filter to the Input of the High Pass Filter,

and then from the Output of the High Pass Filter to the VCA IN in the Output

section allows you to vary the low-end “weight” of a sound without affecting the

relationship between the Mixer and the Low Pass Filter.

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