Moog Music Minimoog Operation Manual
MINIMOOG MODEL D FRONT PANEL
A GUIDE TO THE OPERATION OF THE MINI MOOG
MODEL D
A. INTRODUCTION
An electronic music synthesizer is a musical instrument whose
circuitry can be interconnected and set up in a large variety of
ways to produce a broad spectrum of musical sounds. The component
circuit controls and interconnections of the Mini Moog Synthesizer
are arranged in a logical and convenient way which is ideal for
live performance.
The purpose of this manual is to acquaint you with the component circuitry of the Mini Moog and the operation of each of the controls
and switches regulating the generators, modifiers, and control devices
involved in the synthesizing of a musical sound. After proceeding
step by step through the instructions outlined below, you should be
ready to begin using your instrument creatively and efficiently.
B. BASIC MINI MOOG FEATURES
The Mini Moog contains the basic components and features to be
found on larger, studio-oriented synthesizers. Its five sound sources
include three oscillators for the production of pitched tones, one
noise source for the production of unpitched sounds, and one microphone
preamplifier for the introduction of live signals. Mixer controls are
available for balancing these signals.
Sound modifiers include a lowpass filter and an amplifier, both of
which have their own contour generators. The control devices include
a 44-note keyboard for use by the right hand, and two wheel controls
and two switches for use by the left hand.
Provision is made at the rear of the instrument for connecting
external controlling devices such as sequencers, foot pedals, and twodimensional (joystick) controllers. These may be used to control volume,
pitch, and filter characteristic. Timing signals may also be introduce
to trigger the contour generators.
C. AUDIO, CONTROL, AND TIMING SIGNALS
Sound travels through the Mini Moog circuitry in the form of
electrical signals which are called AUDIO signals. These audio signals
are generated by the five sound sources, and after undergoing extensive
modification emerge as the output signal. It is this signal, amplified,
which is translated into sound by your speaker system.
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There are two other types of signals which are not heard directly
as sound, but instead are used to influence the way in which the
generating and modifying circuitry performs:
CONTROL signals are used to change the pitches of the oscillators,
the characteristics of the filter, and the amount of amplification by
the amplifier. These control signals are responsible for all of the
musically significant changes and contours in the musical sounds
produced by the Mini Moog.
TIMING signals come from the keyboard (or from an external source)
and are used to trigger, or start off, the contours which open and close
the filter and amplifier. A timing signal begins whenever a key on the
keyboard is depressed, and stops when all keys are released. Timing
signals are used to initiate and terminate musical sounds,
control signals are used to shape and change these sounds
o c c u r .
D. SETTING UP THE INSTRUMENT
1 ) Place the instrument at a convenient level for playing and
secure the Front Panel in the "up" position by means of the
metal bracket underneath.
whereas
while they
2 ) Set all switches in the off position (left-hand or bottom half
d e p r e s s e d ) .
3 ) Referring to Fig .1, set all of the control knobs as indicated.
Fig. 1
4 ) Plug the power cord into any conventional 117 Volt A.C. outlet.
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5 ) Two 6’ patch-cords are supplied with the Mini Moog. If you are
using a portable, guitar-type amplifier, run the cord with the
phone plug at each end from the LOW level MAIN OUTPUT jack on
the rear connector strip of the Mini Moog to an input on your
amplifier. If you are using a monitor amplifier, you will
need to use the other cord. Plug the phone plug end into the
HIGH level MAIN OUTPUT jack of the synthesizer, and run the
small phono-plug at the other end into the high level input of
the monitor amplifier (or into the line level input of a tape
r e c o r d e r ) .
The following sections of this guide will be devoted to a
systematic description of individual control functions in relation
to the synthesizer’s component circuits.
E. OUTPUT SECTION
The Output section of the front panel includes two basic switches:
the POWER switch, which turns the instrument on and off, and the MAIN
OUTPUT switch, which sends the final audio signal out the MAIN OUTPUT
jacks at the rear and into your amplifier. In addition, there are
volume controls for the MAIN OUTPUT and HEADPHONE signals, and an
A-440 switch, all of which will be described below.
Fig. 2
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1 ) Turn on the POWER switch (P). The instrument should generally
be given about ten minutes to warm up before tuning and playing.
Once warmed up, there is practically no limit to the length of
time it may be kept on and in use.
2 ) Turn on switches (B) and (C) and the MAIN OUTPUT switch (M).
Adjust the volume control on your amplifier so that, as you
play the keyboard, fairly loud tones are heard. Further adjustments in the overall volume may be made with the MAIN OUTPUT
VOLUME control (26)
3 ) Briefly turn on the A-440 switch (Q). This signal will be used
for tuning the instrument, and is not used during actual performance. Tuning procedure will be described in Section G.
step 11.
4 ) A separate output is available for headphones, in addition to
the MAIN OUTPUT. For quiet practice, or for tuning up prior
to performance, the MAIN OUTPUT switch may be turned off, so
that the audio signal is not fed into the amplifier. A pair of
low impedance headphones with a "stereo" plug may be plugged into
the jack labelled PHONES (N). The HEADPHONE VOLUME control (27)
is then used to regulate the volume of the headphone signal.
F. OSCILLATOR BANK
This group of circuits contains three separate and independent
oscillators. Each oscillator produces a waveform which repeats
regularly, thereby giving rise to a tone of definite pitch. The audio
signal outputs of the three oscillators are activated by turning on
mixer switches (C), (E), and (G). Since switch (C) is now on, we are
hearing the output of oscillator 1, which is the top row of controls
(4, 5, and 12).
1 ) The RANGE switch (4) determines the pitch range in which the
oscillator functions. Press down a key in the middle of the
keyboard, and turn the RANGE switch through its 6 positions.
You will hear that all positions except the lowest are separated
by one octave. The LO position produces sub-audio clicks which
may be used for rhythmic effect. Return the switch to its 8’
p o s i t i o n .
2 ) The WAVEFORM switch (5) selects one of six waveforms, each of
which has a different overtone spectrum, and therefore produces
a different basic tone quality. From left to right, the available
waveforms are: triangular, sawtooth-triangular, sawtooth, square,
wide rectangular, and narrow rectangular.
(Oscillator 3 substitutes a reverse sawtooth for the sawtoothtriangular.) Hold a key down and run the WAVEFORM switch
through its positions, noticing how the tone quality changes.
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The triangular waveform has the least harmonic content; the
narrow rectangular has the most. Generally your ear will be
your best guide in deciding which waveform to use for a
particular quality.
3 ) The VOLUME control (12) adjusts the amount of Oscillator 1
signal which is fed to the mixer, while switch (C) instantly
turns the oscillator on or off. Oscillators 2 and 3 may be
heard by turning on switches (E) and (G) respectively, and
their relative volumes may be adjusted with VOLUME controls
(13) and (14).
4 ) FREQUENCY controls (7 and 10) are found only on Oscillators
2 and 3. These controls raise or lower the pitch of their
oscillator by as much as a major sixth with respect to
Oscillator 1. To hear this, turn on switches (C) and (E), turn
off (G), and depress a key. Adjust control (7) until the pitches
of Oscillators 1 and 2 are nearly in unison. As you move up
and down the keyboard, the pitches of the two oscillators will
move together. Now turn control (7) clockwise while depressing
a key, until a perfect fifth is made. Once again, this interval
will remain constant as you play different notes on the keyboard.
Any intervals within the range of the oscillators may be set up
simply by setting the RANGE switches and FREQUENCY controls
a p p r o p r i a t e l y .
5 ) By turning off the OSCILLATOR 3 CONTROL switch (B), Oscillator 3
may be disconnected from the control of the keyboard. To observe
this, turn off switches (B), (C), and (E), and turn on switch (G).
The pitch of the oscillator will not change as different keys
are struck. You will also observe that Oscillator 3’s FREQUENCY
control has a much wider range when switch (B) is off. If you
hold down one key and turn control (10) through its range, you
will hear a frequency sweep of 6 octaves rather than one octave.
Fig. 3
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G. CONTROLLERS
This section will demonstrate the use of the controls located
to the left of the Oscillator Bank (used in tuning and setting up a
sound), as well as the keyboard and the manual controls on the panel
to its left (used during performance). All of these controls have an
effect on the oscillators’ pitches, while the Modulation Mix and
keyboard may also be used to control the filter.
MODULATION MIX
Oscillator 3, unlike Oscillators 1 and 2, is available as a
control signal in addition to functioning as an audio signal. As a
control signal, it may be mixed with the output of the Noise Source
using the MODULATION MIX control (3) and introduced whenever the
performer wishes, using the MODULATION wheel (29). The procedure
described below will familiarize you with the use of the Modulation
Mix in controlling the pitch of Oscillator 1:
1 ) Turn off switch (B), so that the pitch of Oscillator 3 is not
affected by the keyboard.
2 ) Turn off switch (G) and turn on switch (C). Now you are hearing
Oscillator 1, but not Oscillator 3, when a key is depressed.
3 ) Set Oscillator 3’s RANGE switch (9) to the LO position, its
FREQUENCY control (10) to mid (0) position, and its WAVEFORM
switch (11) to the triangular (extreme left) setting. This
produces a very low frequency triangular waveform which
oscillates only a few times a second.
4 ) Set the MODULATION MIX control to 0, so that its signal is that
of Oscillator 3. Turn on the OSCILLATOR MODULATION SWITCH (A).
This switch directs the Modulation Mix signal to control the
oscillators’ pitches.
5 ) The slowly varying output voltage of Oscillator 3 is now going
through the MODULATION wheel (29) at the left of the keyboard,
and from there may be applied to periodically change the
oscillators’ pitches (we will hear its effect on Oscillator 1).
The MODULATION wheel is in effect a level control for the
Modulation Mix. Slowly move the MODULATION wheel back and forth
with your left hand while holding down a key with your right hand.
The position of the Modulation wheel will determine the amount of
variation you hear in the pitch of Oscillator 1.
6 ) Change the setting of Oscillator 3’s FREQUENCY control and notice
the resulting increase and decrease in the speed of the modulation
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