The latest T O N E L A B video takes an in-depth look at a vintage 1973 Moog Minimoog Model D – quite possibly the most iconic synth ever.
The video highlights why vintage Minimoogs are still so popular – they look good, they smell good and they still sound fantastic.
Video Summary:
“In this clip, I test-drive a relic of ‘synth history’. Revered by legends such as Herbie Hancock, Keith Emerson, J Dilla & Brian Eno to name a handful. This old boy here is one of the first 1500 to come off the production line way back in 1973.
Sitting behind one of these is quite an experience.. the sights, the sounds… the smells.. of a hard working mono synth!”
Topics covered:
0:01 Intro and background
1:20 Output and tuning your minimoog
3:45 Oscillator bank
6:10 Mixer section (White noise, external input)
9:00 Mod wheel and modulation
11:22 Modifiers section (Part 1: Envelopes)
12:35 Controllers section (Decay, Glide & Pitch wheel)
14:40 Modifiers section (Part 2: Filters)
16:50 Keyboard control (aka Keyboard tracking / Cutoff Freq. bias)
18:32 Rear connections and outro
19:35 Noodling on the minimoog
I’m just imagining a 70s ad with a guy with a mustache holding one and saying “Smells great!”
Owned one in the early 80’s….components kept smoking….sold it and went on! Never looked back. It’s sound never impressed me enough to keep putting money into it. The guy who bought it kept having the same problem. And Sold it for parts!
I bought a new Minimoog in 1979, after years of lusting for one, I finally got enough together to buy it. Had it maybe two years then sold it for half what I bought it for. The sound just didn’t impress me. It would have impressed me even less if it actually stank.
The “Smell Good” bit is a real issue, mine stank of cat wee, even after an really expensive deep-clean and service. Never again!
How do you know that the cat urine smell isn’t the smell that he is talking about in the clip? How many 1973 Minimoog Model Ds have you smelled?
Only the one, but after it stank up my studio for a few months I sold it.
Maye they used fish-glue? 🙂
after the mini moog being around for 200 years and after 100 years of youtube videos, this video has quite an optimistic approach.
My Behringer Model D sounds like that. Maybe I can buy a can of 1973 Smell and spray it on the Model D.
I’d say “1973 Moog Minimoog Model D Sounds Great, Smells Great too”
But what do I know : )