First Pictures Of The Moog Minitaur Analog Bass Synthesizer (NAMM Rumor Alert!)

Moog Minitaur Analog Bass Synthesizer

2012 Winter NAMM Show: It looks like your wishes for some new analog gear might be granted. Check out these unofficial photos of the $599 Moog Minitaur Analog Bassline Synthesizer!

The Minitaur is a compact tabletop monophonic MIDI-and-CV-controllable analog bass synthesizer module, based on the design of the Taurus 3 bass synthesizer.

The front panel of the Minitaur is designed for maximum tweakability, with a knob-per-function design. Schwing!. This isn’t a preset synth – but you can can create and manage patches via MIDI.

The Minitaur has several features added to the classic Taurus synth engine, including an external audio input.

Here’s a view of the Minitaur’s backside:

Here are the preliminary specs:

  • 100% analog audio signal path, based on Taurus I and Taurus III synthesizers.
  • 2 Taurus VCOs with variable Glide amount
  • Sawtooth (original Taurus) or Square waveform selection for both VCOs
  • External Audio Input
  • Headphone out
  • 2 Mixer VCAs for setting the level of the VCOs
  • 1 VCF Moog/Taurus-style Ladder Filter w/ VC Resonance
  • 1 VCA
  • Two Minimoog-style ADSR Envelope generators with the Decay and Release segments controlled by the Decay knob plus a Release On/Off switch
  • 1 MIDI-syncable triangle wave LFO for modulating VCF/VCOs
  • DIN MIDI In and MIDI over USB out

Note: This information is unofficial, coming via retailers ProAudioStar and HET. We’ll have official specs, pricing and availability as they are announced.

Let us know what you think of the Moog Minitaur bass synth – and the rumored $599 price!

33 thoughts on “First Pictures Of The Moog Minitaur Analog Bass Synthesizer (NAMM Rumor Alert!)”

  4. Its perfect. Just perfect. Exactly what I wanted them to make next. I wanted a small synth with one knob-per-function, CV/gate, MIDI, and most importantly, the sound of the Moog 901 oscillator, the design of which, I am told, was used in the Taurus 1. And the price is perfect! I couldn’t be happier!

  5. oh my god…i mean…oh my god was this they give to the winner of the animoog contest?
    they should, lower the price to a 399 range, THEY SHOULD! they will beat vDSI moptho with that price and beat the digital world.

  8. I bought a voyager rack and sold it after being very disappointed with the operating system (and it broke down and had to be returned to Turnkey) I think this new synth will help get moog to the masses, rather than to synth fetishists!! I would class the voyager as a really crap synthesiser with really bad envelopes , no portomento switch etc. The guy I sold mine on to was not impressed either.It is a lot of dosh for a mono synth.I do like the sound of moogs, I think this machine will be worth the cash. I imagine this coming out will mean other boutique manufacturers will have to compete better. Moog are catching up with the needs of music producers at last , ones in the real world. They should have included an ‘accent’ control. Imagine that!!!!
    ( when moog replaced my faulty voyager they said they would send a gift/ I got a sticker .. I thought fuckin wow)

    1. Are you aware you could of disabled the deep functionality of the OS & used the voyager in “Physical Knob Mode” only right? Just like this new little guy.

      1. That still wouldn’t allow acces to the two modes of mono play.I spent enough time ringing moog up to try to sort out the problems I had (software upgrades then a replacement cause it was knackered) I have had many synths, from a moog rogues, all the junos, Cs15 , 303s,sh 101’s etc the voyager envelopes where crap.As much as the sound could be admired, getting them sounds couldn’t be!!! I think this new machine will be a good basic synth, moog is nice to have in a pallete of sounds , but there are some great alternatives out there. I had never spent as much on a synth and used it the least. hence getting shut of it!!
        There appears to be no envelope follower on this ‘bass synth’ either? grumpy northener!!

  9. I bought a voyager rack and sold it after being very disappointed with the operating system (and it broke down and had to be returned to Turnkey) I think this new synth will help get moog to the masses, rather than to synth fetishists!! I would class the voyager as a really crap synthesiser with really bad envelopes , no portomento switch etc. The guy I sold mine on to was not impressed either.It is a lot of dosh for a mono synth, but I do like the sound of moogs, I think this machine will be worth the cash. I imagine this coming out will mean other boutique manufacturers will have to compete better. Moog are catching up with the needs of music producers at last , ones in the real world. They should have included an ‘accent’ control. Imagine that!!!!

    1. I hate it when people call themselves producers. Especially when they’re just guys who play with samples. Also, Moog doesn’t make TB-303s so they don’t need accent control.

      As for the minotaur, I can’t wait. I like the low end out of my slim phatty, but sometimes it doesn’t cut it. Plus I can sequence the minotaur and use the phatty for leads and goofy noises.

      1. Accent would be great , it doesn’t mean it has to sound like a tb 303.It is just another way of getting detail into sequences. Eowave has included accent on their new analogue’Domino’, also future retro has on there semi modular. Accent is lovely detail , xoxbox and all the other clones have done well by including accent.Accented basslines have been around before Chicago acid.As it is a bass synth it would have been good.
        The Eowave company have a new bass synthesiser that looks like it will compete with moog, it has memories and accent controls.

  11. @Alxi the tuning control for 2nd oscillator is right next to the filter, to the left (labeled “freq”, for frequency)

    It seems that this type of form factor for synths is the next big thing (tabletop modules, no keys, lots of knobs and analog a lot of the time). I like it, it can sit on a table right next to a laptop etc. USB midi is great is well, I think all synths should have it nowadays.

    The price is ok, but I think a little high. I would prefer $400, or at the most $500. I know it’s a niche market and they have to make a buck though. I suppose it’s moot, because if I had the scratch I would buy a Moog in a second, they all sound amazing!

      1. Saving shit via midi can be a lot of hassle and agro (other people might think differently)
        that’s why those of us into hardware use patch memories or programme changes.
        If the synth you want to store the sounds of,it will work if its panel transmits and receives midi, you should be able to save and send the info in cubase. If I am honest (27 years experience and teaching experience regards music tech) get a synth with memories, keep midi simple!! cause if your working on music, the last thing you need is midi messages sending unwanted patch changes!! So much down time with software conflicts.
        PS I think you would need to get your head round system exclusive messages ,read up on midi(? )

    2. My bad – must have studied layout too briefly and attributed freq to filter section. Then, looks interesting enough, I think I’d only miss PWM, different waveshapes for LFO and onboard. And keyboard to make it a portable performance instrument. I think I’ll wait for Korg’s next step and then decide. It would be cool if Roland would join the new analog race.

  15. For those wanting accent – there’s CV in, get creative!

    On the MIDI question, it looks like you can control all the parameters via MIDI. You’d need a patch editor on your computer, though.

    On the price – I’d prefer that they give you one of these for free with your Animoog purchase. But $600 is a great price for a dual VCO analog synth, made to Moog’s standards.

    We need less ‘cheap’ gear and more gear that is a good value.

    1. For those wanting accent – there’s CV in, get creative!
      Can you shed some light on this?
      and what if we don’t want to be using midi to c v convertors etc?

      1. midi boy

        I’m not sure what ADSR had in mind – but if you’re going the CV route, you could route a control voltage to the filter input on accented notes. This could be a row of a sequencer or a separate envelope.

        On the MIDI side, edit the velocities of your sequence to add accents. You an also open up the filter on accented notes.

        1. Thank you synthhead for your very sane reply that clarifies why the Minitaur (which doesn’t appear to contain an integrated sequencer) doesn’t include or require “accents” (aka custom modulation values for specific notes in a sequence.)

          Apparently every knob/parameter can be controlled by CV or MIDI CC, so you have quite a bit of flexibility for “accents.”

        2. Thank you, I will look into your advice on the machine.
          I will be interested in checking the accent capabilities on individual notes. I know the accent on the 303 ,xoxbox and eowave domino adds quite a characteristic to the sound. It isn’t just extra velocity it shapes the envelope. Although I have been using 303’s etc a long time nothing really beats (in my opinion) such a sound (used wisely)
          Let’s hope moog delivers.It is exciting that it transmits midi!! and again the plus of this machine is its price and simple layout.

  17. Some people were not impressed with the Voyager when compared with the MiniMoog, the controversy was the oscillators, making it smoothly sweep from waveform to waveform was an engineering feat, but at the expense of powerful static waveforms as on the MiniMoog. One might think that the core difference was the filter, the Voyager is smoother than the MiniMoog’s filter but the difference is minimal. Then comes along the Minitaur, it brings back static waveforms and the classic sound of the Minimoog.

    By the way, the price is so low, I’m inclined to think there’s software generated Envelopes and LFO are running this synth. These days this may not be too bad, modern CPU’s are much faster.

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