27 thoughts on “Minimoog Model D App vs Hardware Minimoog Model D”

1. Let you know what I think? Ok. I could care less. The app sounds awesome to me, has presets and costs less than a burger at Mel’s Diner. My iPads are blowing away my hardware synths in general. I own Kronos(2), tritons(3), karmas(2), JP-80, tons of modules and best boxes, etc. My iPads and laptops kick ass on my extensive hardware. You asked, so there you go. JMO’s. 🙂

   1. But the hardware synths you own are digital ones. Basically you own a hardware wrapper around DSP algorithms, and the Model D is analog. Your ipad is just a wrapper around the apps you own, too. So, the ipad and your hardware are very similar, and probably why the ipad kicks their butt.

      Now, add in a analog synth to your studio and compare that to your ipad.

      1. Yo Yo Ming, with all of the tone colors alacazam has, why would he or she, (or anyone else in their right mind) buy a expensive can of paint with basically one color? It’s redundant.

      2. With all respect, 🙂 been playing synths for over 40 years. My first synth I actually owned was a Cat by Octave. For five years my live set-up included 2 Pro-One’s, a Prophet 600, and a Juno 60 all analog. The bass player let me use his Prophet 5 as well. In high school my best friend’s Dad played with Santana, Three Dog Night, Kingfish, and others at various times, He had a gold record with his time with Santana and I was fortunate enough to study piano and keyboards with him. He was a pitch bending wizard and a monster on the B-3.

         So I basically grew up getting to play his Model D, Clav, and B-3 on a regular basis. I actually had a Model D my first year in college and an echoplex as well. I had a real Fender Rhodes all thru high school and was one of the first in California to use an ANALOG synth at a high school jazz festival. My post wasn’t about analog vs digital it was about not caring anymore about such comparisons.

         But I ran the Minimoog app thru my Alto TS-115’s and it screamed. My guess is very few would know the difference between it and the real thing when mixed with other audio stuff, um unless I am doing concerto for solo Minimoog.

         I am aware my hardware synths are digital thank you, :-), again I could care less about analog vs digital arguments, whatever gives me the most bang for my buck and has the most sonic potential is what matters to me these days. I could list all the synths I have owned and used over the last 40 years but who cares?

         I honestly don’t care about comparisons between a $5 app and some over priced vintage synth I’ll never own again lol. I sold both my Pro-One’s for 5x what I paid for them. My JP-8000 is in the closet because Sunrizer on my first generation iPad kicks it’s ass. Do I need knobs to twirl… any of my midi controllers can solve that problem for the most part. On a side note there is a video on here where Junkie XL takes like 20 minutes to generate an 8 note sequence using some dinosaur modular set-up and then one of the modules fucks up or something, lol, sorry I know he is a genius and makes gazillions of dollars but I have no desire in wasting precious time I have left on such stuff… again JMO.

         My iPad Pro, hell even my old iPad 1st gen gives me unheard of sonic potential for the $$$. I have tons of hardware and I will still use it all but at the end of the day my iPad Pro is a formidable music making tool and for me IT IS about making music and not so much about comparisons between analog and digital, or $5 apps and classic or re-issue synths costing hundreds or even a couple thousand dollars.
         JMO’s and again no disrespect to anyone or what they use to create sound. 🙂

2. The app is O.14% the price of the hardware. With presets, MIDI and… polyphony. The hardware is a thing of beauty but is it 500X more beautiful? I’d still prefer to own the hardware but 500X more!

   1. I’d still prefer to own the hardware but not500X more!

3. wow, a really unnecessary video comparing real apples to a digital picture of apples.

   1. Analog (chemically generated) picture would be better, I presume?

4. I have both a Voyager and this. Whats great about:
   Voyager: It’s the real thing. Keys feel great. Knobs feel great. Sounds f’n amazing
   Model D App: Sound’s amazing, Can take it to school to show the kids synthesis with low risk to my bank account (and my back). Can download to all ios devices including iphone making the mini more mini than the real mini, ipad mini, and the many mini variations down the line.

   I’m actually debating getting the ipad pro so I can have these apps (Animoog is still my favorite app in the universe) but in large form.

5. Over 35 years of owning synths. No software comes anywhere near hardwares sonics and hands on control. I have zero interest in software. I do think hardware is cost affective also.

   1. Your hardware only functions by software.

6. For switching between Arturia and Moog Apps to compare – I just had them both loaded and turned the volume down before switching.

   1. just remove model d as input source in imini. and your all set.

7. Played an organ preset live and recorded it into my MPC Live for our bands new track…Sounds gorgeous!

8. Hm.. We’re listening to these examples through digital media right? It’s not a good method to do these tests. The interweb is not up to it – it’s a digital domain. Which is why I always will have an analouge mixer at hand, I have to record digital, but I enjoy the analogue domain when it’s pure. It’s the only way to get analouge out of analogue synths. There is a difference – at least below 24/96.

9. I wonder how many people can tell the difference with a full band and PA’s playing into a field of people? I wonder if they notice that they should pay me more for having an actual model d in the mix that’s been eq’d compressed and delayed?

   1. +1

10. I love the app. I prefer hardware, but apps are great when I’m away from my gear. The sound wouldn’t fool me, and it wouldn’t be my first choice, but it’s plenty nice. The price makes it a must for every synth nerd on iOS. Not to mention apps like this makes a quality synth accessible to those who wouldnt otherwise be exposed. All wins in my book.

11. Couldn’t honestly tell them apart sonically in any way that would matter.
    But the thing is, I’ve never really liked the sound of the Model D, owned one and exchanged it for a Voyager instead…
    So who cares how good the clones sound?

12. I’ll hang on to my Sub37 and Modular gear. It’s personal preference. The video didn’t make any sense to me….maybe I missed the point. . I bought the App n like it. I won’t afford the real hardware D. Just my preference. This last year I sold off all my digital korg gear. I just wasn’t using it. It’s not about digital or analog. It’s about how you use it. It’s what brings you enjoyment.

13. Thanks so much for the comparison, they sound really close. I bet it would be hard to tell the difference in a mix. Great job Moog! I love all these classic soft synths on the iPad, brilliant!

14. Minimoog D? Pfft. That is so yesterday. I’ve got the Minimoog E.

    1. Yeah? Well I’ve got the Minimoog F.

15. It’a a good emulation and in a mix, or with the right effects, you might not know the difference. On an experiential level, it’s the difference between flying over a city and being in the middle of it. Neither of which is a bad thing.

16. He did a good job of matching the tones.

    These kinds of comparisons are useful. For one thing they show how much closer developers are getting with their emulations. And down to the individual elements, they are modeling the features pretty accurately.

    Clearly, the lack of actual knobs will affect the experience, and for some sounds, resolution of parameter values, and the modulation scan rates will be a factor.

    If we could create a reasonable emulation of the knobs using a control surface, (even a custom one)– and, assuming some natural variation could be added in the simulation (if it wasn’t already), I imagine this would be a pretty satisfying device.

17. I like them BOTH. Apps are great and hardware is great. Apps are more portable and flexible and can be many things in one and updated. But people, forget…the iPad IS hardware. It’s not that cheap either, and the iPad has horrible value retention. It’s worth nothing in like 3 years time. And most likely you’ll want to buy an updated one. A good hardware synth does what it does very well, and overtime generally holds or increases in value. They are also objects of desire, pieces of art and engineering in addition to their utilitarian purpose. So, in that sense a good hardware synth is a decent investment.

18. My biggest problem with iOS instruments is how to connect them. You need separate midi in from audio out. Apple seems to hate that so you end up with clunky splitters and adapters. Plus you need power. Plus you need better control surface than a touch screen. I need someone to come up with a small control box with just wheels, pgm up/down and four assignable knobs. Should fit nicely on the top/left side of Nord Electro and provide all three connections. So I can play it from my NE keyboard, have wheels and at least some knobs. Anyone? IK Multimedia? IRig for iOS synths?