Moog Minitaur Bass Synth - SonicLAB Review

Moog's latest synthesizer has people frotthing at the mouth. Is it foot and mouth, or foot in mouth? (terrible pun). This monophonic bass synthesizer is Moog's most affordable yet.
Thanks to those who left questions and comments, I've tried to answer them all.
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[@sonicstate]

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[@MajestoMusic]

Not sure why people complain about the limited range of octaves on this when it obviously says BASS synthesizer on the front in bold white letters.

[@ConenRuam]

Bass Station ii?

[@SPAZZOID100]

Because EVERY OTHER mono synth ever made gives you the full range of octaves. Even the $150 korg volca!!!!!

[@Lowebrau]

The Volca Bass is a complete piece of shit that drops midi like highschool math class. It's failed me so many times.

[@michaelwoods9005]

it's a taurus without the pedals- it's a BASS synth.

[@SPAZZOID100]

Lowebrau not me. No issues at all and can handle the full octave range.

[@MegaPhalaenopsis]

Very cool that Moog proposes a real analog synth whith the real Moog sound , for a not too high price. This man always proposes very good demos.He is entousiastic , that gives top his videos a sympathic touch. Sorry for MY RUBBISH english,I am Frog eater ( frenchie).

[@Ninjjadog]

🐸

[@TheOldOakSyndicate]

Love Moog products, & they are worth every cent, but most of their products are way out of reach for the average joe...unless you save up for them...The only times i get to use them is when I go to a music shop and ask the salesman to let me try it out.

[@sonicstate]

@sonicstate Here you go: NastyMono will be $59,00 USD, shipping price still the same $24,00 USD flat rated worldwide shipping. It features a fixed passive LPF to cleanup the feedback path

[@manatee_mailbox]

MOOG RHYMES WITH VOGUE. It's not up to preference, sorry. It's how Robert Moog said he wants his name to be pronounced. Shall I find my own pronunciation for your name?

[@69drummerdude]

You (americans) say "moag", we say "moog" because there are two fucking o's in it! (as explained by Eddie Izzard)

[@JacobLouis]

But you just pronounced it proper right as you said you couldn't. Lol

[@TheOfficialSio]

He ment he couldt get used to saying it that way

[@Johnnysynth]

Eligo Music Well that's just a weak mind. lol

[@Johnnysynth]

I started pronouncing it the first time I saw a documentary of him, sometime in the late 80s. Until you hear someone correctly saying it, you have no idea 'oo' isn't pronounced 'oo'. Another notch against American english I guess.

[@screamingsixties]

Johnnysynth i naturally always pronounced it the way he does but out of respect, I started pronouncing it the proper way. it must be the common british/american stubborness, regarding pronunciations.... each side will do it their own way and there's nothing that'll change that. weak minds! :D hahaha

[@therealborischang]

I’m going to go make a grilled cheese and tomahto sandwich.

[@raymcpherson6772]

Oh and by the way again (2) I met Bob Moog at the Frankfurt Trade Fair 1995 and asked whether it was Moog Or Mogue and it's Mogue and now I hate myself even more. Feel free to leave various hateful posts, I'm gone from here now, never to return. It's Mogue though.

[@edwardvivaldi]

Even though I'm from the States, I first came upon Moog when I was just a young lad via England, and I inevitably pronounce it Moog (as in mood) also.

[@HerrSpuzzmacher]

Out of respect for Bob, I called it Mogue while he was alive. Because he decided he liked it that way. However, he is gone now, and as such is no longer there operating the company. So the world is left with a funky analogue synth company with a logo that says Moog, with all its funkiness.

[@danielmori7112]

No PWM is such a shame.

[@MediaMusik777]

also the new update gives you more lfo sources and shift key from hardware like glide and lfo rate . also the minitaur can be transposed to trick it to be a minimoog type stuff and also responds to hold pedals or cc#64 or glide + decay. btw to minitaur users my work flow is create sounds and then save them in the order i need them to recall them on hardware dial without having to dial in the sound

[@sonicstate]

I quote: reason is that the oscillator core is linear (Hz/V) instead of exponential (V/Oct, a la Minimoog etc.)… what this means is that as you increase in pitch, your pitch CV has to increase exponentially instead of in a linear fashion. This means that by the time you hit note 72, the pitch CV is up near 13 Volts (which would be dog-whistle territory on a volts-per-octave setup) - given the 12V power supply, this is the limit the pitch CV can put out

[@quenjankosky7348]

but its so fun to say it MOOG instead of MOAG :(

[@xor5352]

it does have a cow on it

[@B0K1T0]

Or MOEG instead of MOOG if you're Dutch (like the original Moog ancestors I believe)

[@MrDaigoRiki]

just got one yesterday, massive bass sound outta a tiny black box, very cool, bass station2 was tempting a bit but i made a right choice :D

[@jahmark9336]

Thanks for the review nobby x Peace and love from Bristol, England

[@Synthematix]

its moog! a cow doesnt go MOA does it!

[@shreknos]

Basic understanding of the English language fundamentals would suggest otherwise

[@joker9494949494]

it's not an english name :)

[@shreknos]

Is it not in an English speaking country? Or did dr bob communicate in Russian? Moron

[@joker9494949494]

That's like you going to Germany and everyone pronouncing your name Smith as Smyth. Probably annoying as hell.

[@GB3770]

Synthematix ill always use the cow pronunciation

[@raymcpherson6772]

By the way, I do know what a wanker I sound, but when you talk about plus and minus octaves and db's I would expect the right fecking pronunciation of MOGUE. Oh god I hate myself.

[@Mr_ToR]

10:40 so interesting how the concept of digital control of analog synths was kind of a taboo or a subject back then especially considering that the analog synths were mostly for a small crowd of analog purists. Now you can get a digital sounding shitty analog synth from Behringer or a Roland digital clone analog wanna-be synth cloning what Roland was and all that for relatively cheap if considering prices to real analog synths. Yet the industry is better now like how Korg got it going on and such as DSI or Moog. You get a glimpse of what was important back then.

[@sonicstate]

@soupforare The CV example I used was V/Oct - the Doepfer module outputs that.

[@FreeThink1984]

Yeah, pretty much. It's more of "blending" waveforms to get a sound, and i believe the sub-osc is just a bit of circuit trickery that divides the signal into either square or sine and 1 or 2 octaves below the original signal. the downside of it only being one oscillator is that you can't detune them...the benefit of multiple oscillators. however if you have any other synth you can run a waveform or osc(s) through the minibrute's auxiliary in, allowing you to detune, etc. LOVE my minibrute

[@OneOfUsSweden]

According to Bob himself, (the interview is somewhere on youtube) some members of his family pronounce it moog rather than mouge depending on their own pesonal preference.

[@2112jonr]

Bob's wife was a teacher and changed it from Moog to "Moag" because some of the kids thought the proper pronounciation (Moo-g) was funny. That's the story I read anyway, so I'm sticking to Moo-g.

[@juno6]

New OS adds hard sync, various LFO waveforms (including S&H and vfc env) and the possibility of modulating only osc2 from the LFO.

[@sonicstate]

@thebaggytrouseredone Just asked them about that will get back to you

[@GrandmasDay32]

Who cares how you say it. Just play the damn synth.

[@kierenmoore3236]

It's supposed to be pronounced Moghghghghgh ... like in Holland ... :))

[@Bradonomous]

I'm from London and I always pronounce it Moog not Mowgue. Everyone I know pronounces it that way too.

[@sonicstate]

@telesynth ll the knobs are bolted to the front panel. they have nylon shafts and feel pretty robust

[@variator7466]

I say Moog just like you do and so does most of my friends. I'm Swedish.

[@thatoneguy3284]

Im american and i say it like that 🤷🏾‍♂️

[@CubicSugar]

Luke Vibert (English) and Jean Jacque Perry (French) both pronounce Moog this way on their Moog Acid album. As do I.

[@BrianFunkMusic]

I've always said Moog like "Mooooooo-g" instead of like "rogue." Then the KZbin came and made me realize my folly, lol

[@1CreationStation1]

Need some help please...Is the Minitaur the best for the really SUBBY / SMOOTH / DARK basslines u hear in DnB >??? Cheers!

[@timothyhawkins7285]

Would the Nose Volume/Expression Pedal or any external volume pedal have the same effect as the amazing machine's feedback control. thanks.

[@JacobWatters1]

@sonicstate Great review. One question I have about the software portion is when you set something up in the software and then disconnect the Minitaur, does it store the changes that were made using the software, or do the software exclusive controls reset to the default value?

[@proudpastafarian26]

I'm not trolling or trying to be offensive, but I'm just wondering in all seriousness, why would you buy one of these? It seems very limited, and there are less expensive synthesizers which could produce pretty much the same sounds, right? Or is it more "quality" when analog?

[@mildheadwound]

I don't know, maybe i'm just doped up, but i just don't see these knobs as big or spaced out enough to play around with my toes. Like Dan Akroyd, I do suffer from a nasty case of syndactylism, so those rainbow~coloured, multi~toed sock are definitely out.

[@AlbertSirup]

in this case what's the difference between the "nastymono" and just using a volume knob/pedal?

[@flxmusic4943]

Thank you for a really thorough explanation! I think it's funny though that when people present these synths or other gear they are always discussing how limited the synth is. I think limitation (synth-wise) is relative when it comes to its intuitiveness. For me, being a noob on analogue synths I think that the limitation is something good! It is much easier to learn it that way. Then, of course, I know that the limitation and price goes hand in hand ;) How much do I get if I spend X amount of cash? // FLX

[@s3nsec0rruptr80]

Replying three years later... I think sometimes some limit can be good. I'm looking at this because I want a synth that will just do a really good bass, and being able to vary sounds is good, but I don't need a million sound design options, just tight low end. More isn't always better

[@sonicstate]

@DesenlaceDesastrozo honestly cant say I didnt notice anything from tuning

[@mrbreaker101]

Creamy sweep

[@rbizla]

Another top-notch review! Cheers.

[@djeliseon4478]

Can I connect my DJ controller through the input on the synth and out to my audio interface for live real time stereo music trax sound effects .

[@curtisjeffs6547]

new to these synths, can i control this with a usb midi controller such as a launchkey?

[@scottbeckstead33]

Curtis Jeffs Yes

[@DoctorBlankenstein]

btw.. GREAT REVIEW!

[@asynchronicity]

You pronounce it correctly and then say you are incapable of pronouncing it correctly. 😂

[@Voltor07]

@SquareWaveHeaven The Minibrute is a joke compared to the Minitaur. Both in terms of bass output and build quality. They literally built it as cheaply as possible, and added gimmicks like a ring modulator (metalizer) and overdrive (brute factor). The Minibrute only has ONE osc., as well.

[@borispradel1037]

I own a Volca Bass, and MS20 mini, a Bass Station II and a Minitaur I bought a couple of week ago... I can tell that nothing touches the Minitaur... and although its range is crippled there is something about its sound (subsonic frequency perhaps) that can't be replicated by any other synth (I have)...after using the Minitaur all the others sound anemic... to the point that I'm getting rid of the Bass Station very soon...it's like a 3D sound...and the REV 2 allows the storage of 126 patches...

[@CowardsBendTheKnee]

I'm not sonicstate, sorry ;) but here are my 2 cents of an euro for you: have you seen Portishead's Adrian Utley on Arturia MiniBrute Analog Synth's video here on youtube? I made my mind after seeing it!

[@SendyTheEndless]

Squarewave but no PWM? Dual oscs but no audio-rate interactions (sync or xmod)? At that price point I'm a little but suprised. When you look at the Minibrute, or the MFB line, they've packed so many features in. I guess it comes down to whether you must have that Moog sound (which these days, is not beyond compare IMO) and to a certain extent, the Moog name and hipster image. Just my opinion, anyway. Great review!

[@nuegonah886]

What is the samplerate of sending 14-bit CC's from measurement CV-inputs? And how they implemented those 14 bits? They send 2 separate MIDI CC's with lowest byte and highest byte, as it implemented in Theremini?

[@DoctorBlankenstein]

the new OS Firmware upgrade changes A LOT of the "it only has this option"... . it seems the analog engine driven by digital control allows for some AMAZING upgrades with this piece. Knobs are giving completely new features etc. Check out the Moog site for more info on the upgrade

[@OttosTheName]

awesome and a Lot of bang for the buck, but the Moog is... a moog. It's got that recognisable Moog sound that many people have come to love. It has less features, but they probably put years of fine tuning into this machine. I think the Moog sounds warmer and the Minibrute sounds edgier. But if you go easy on the sawtooths and mix in some Sine and Triangle waves you should get some nice smooth sounds out of it as well. Basically the Moog is smoother the Arturia shreds and cuts through the mix.

[@SRDhain]

Hmm..that doesnt sound too healthy... it could be the voltage supply where you use it , as if thats unstable that will affect tuning. Have you tried contacting moogmusic for help/advice?

[@mCKENIC]

Really comprehensive review Nick - Thank you! I didnt know about patch recall & that makes it VERY interesting indeed! Great integration with your modular gear so that is also a big plus. It is going to be tough to decide between the Brute or Taur! I would like to finally have 'that' Moog sound (software not withstanding) so this review is a Godsend - thanks!

[@coatlecue]

i don much care for his north accent then. he looks very like a woman at a church im a keyboardist at. most unsettling since i think she's rather cute. most unsettling. having said that. if they could get him to do technical as well as pure information for all things concerning professional audio. all audio. that would be quite accepting. he's very good at such things i imagine

[@OttosTheName]

The Minibrute? Didn't know that... So you just use the sliders to create a waveform that's for instance 25% saw 75% wave? That would still make it a bit more versatile then the Moog tho...

[@simenandreas]

Can you use a Sonuus b2m midi converter to use this directly with bass-guitar? Or do you have a have a small keyboard?

[@quenjankosky7348]

this is kinda a synth noob question, but what is the gate? I never fully understood it.

[@super-dude-]

*i think *it functions the same as a "Trig". It triggers the envelopes to go. (it tells the synth to open up the volum or the filter or whatever else).

[@quenjankosky7348]

tnx bro

[@lensmusic98105]

+Quentin “SpecialBomb” Jankosky so the VCO is pitch but gate is basically "on/off." i think in this case when the gate is 0 volts, it's off, but when you press a key, it gives it 5 volts, aka "on." that's why there is a different input for all the different possible voltage controls.

[@rafepulley1160]

Do you pronounce that noob or nobe?

[@ReneeNme]

+ Quen A " gate " is a thing that you open when you've grown tired of your goats pooping all over your front lawn.

[@PhobiaGuy]

try this here on youtube, take a look for others Synthesis Basics - Lesson 1 A Crash Course On Synthesis - Roland GAIA SH-01 Intro to Synthesis Part 1 - The Building Blocks of Sound & Synthesis The last one is quite old but very informative, the guy is Dean Friedman (70s singer, youtube him too, bit shmaltsy but hey ho) Hope it helps, stick with it, it's worth it...Enjoy!

[@IAmBound]

Well moog says that the slim phatty takes ~1.5 hours to warm-up. Somewhat disappointing compared to the little phattys 15 minutes. Apparently it has to do with being in a smaller space closer to the power source. I would give it AT LEAST 20 minutes. I'm planning on buying a Slim Phatty since I leave my stuff on and noodle on it almost all day anyways.

[@cecinestpasunepipe]

@Xend54 there is one, and its range is off to approx. 200% (max gain of 2). So you don't need any other kit, strictly speaking. The NastyMono does however allow you to drive it an insane amount more than that if you want to. :) BTW I'd recommend using an insert cable (y cable) with the stereo end to the headphone output and one of the mono ends to the external input... that way you are not shorting one of the headphone channels to ground, as you would with a mono cable plugged to the phoneout

[@LDGextra]

the little phatty doesn't have as much of a problem with that(I think only the slim phatty does), and I don't think tuning stability has been a problem in any recent moog products overall, didn't notice any tuning issues with it myself.

[@ANPHKI]

Bob Moog didn't know how hes name is actually supposed to be pronounced. One of the grandest concious linguistic misunderstandings of the past century.

[@HenriHorrible]

Since it doesn't have presets, is there a way to have a midi sequencer record them and dial them in automatically?

[@DesenlaceDesastrozo]

How is the Tuning stability? I have a Slim Phatty and is very difficult play with other people for its tuning, if I don't play for a while the slim phatty is out of tune again (sorry for my english)

[@esroberto1]

Best reviewer on KZbin. Fuck everybody else.

[@winstonschwarz1636]

Moooooogg is the correct pronunciation! Rhymes with Vogue is just too much like hard work!

[@verve92]

@sonicstate so does the MiniTaur stay in tune or not? I had to return my Slim and I hear it is being discontinued as it should be. Many, many tuning issues. Moog really cut corners with the SP.

[@johnsfan1]

I think it's a British English and American English sound variation, It's pronounced Moooog In Australia, well I haven't heard anybody say moag at least!

[@silkee]

Oh, so this has true OSC retrigger on note on?? Or does he just mean it syncs the oscillators together? (8.45mins)

[@GB3770]

every moog vid half the coments about how to pronounce his name...so ridiculous...

[@cecinestpasunepipe]

@verve92 Minitaur stays in tune like a champ. The Hz/V oscillator cores are extremely stable.

[@MikeWfromNJ]

@Cynosure48 I can tell you that the software maintains it's own 'notion' of where the controls are and they match the Minitaur unless manipulated elsewhere (ie. if you tweak Minitaur from a keyboard or by playing a track that contains CCs into Minitaur, the values between what software thinks and what Minitaur knows will differ. But a "Capture" will refresh the software). But to your question, if you disconnect the Minitaur and continue to tweak the software (or not), you can still save, etc

[@kb1629]

Thanks for the very detailed review.

[@MsrAlaindeFerrier]

I've been playing on Moog's since age 13 at synth shops always always calling them mooooogs and always shall do as i'd have to hard wire my mind to call it a mogue so fuck it ,its a moooooooooooog !!Love the vids very very informative and are mega helpfull in clear concise advice when thinking about making a purchase Thanks n keep up the good werk Al

[@Zemael]

Hello. I like very much your work. Well, but can I do all the minitaur sounds with a Slim Phatty? I've one, will the minitaur give me extra power bass tones? Thank you.

[@mattsynth]

Moog does have quite a full line of synths available. This one has plenty of knobs but the patch storage is quarky. Phattys have patch storage but not so many knobs. Voyager does it all if you can afford one. I saved my money and purchased a Voyager, no regrets here. Also take a look at the Waldorf Pulse, Doepfer Dark Energy, Arturia Minibrute and DS Mopho. I have an old Waldorf Pulse and it shakes my house. The Pulse is the "Bass King" in my studio.

[@zsela00]

Hi! I'm looking for something like the Minitaur, but I want triangle and sine waves too, not just sqare and sawtooth. When I mean something like the Minitaur I mean that it has no keys, just midi in but physical knobs and analog sounds. Can you help me?

[@watchtheskies]

great review Nick, thanks reminds me a lot of the Analogue Solutions "Leipzig-s" another analogue synth with a smooth Moog like filter, have you ever played the Leipzig-s Nick?, sounds great but a bit expensive watch?v=KEdj4A818XU

[@odalayme]

lol 2nd video u appologige for mispronouncing moog....when i try to correct my friends, they look at me like i know nothing.... thanks for demo

[@Dogboy73]

What's the build quality like? I imagine it's rock solid being a Moog. But is it?!

[@SPAZZOID100]

When triggered via cv/gate, will it go beyond the 4 octave range.

[@J3Grey]

Would you say that the bass frequencies of the Minitaur are more substantial or fuller sounding than the Slim Phatty? How does the low end compare between the two?

[@jammin023]

Great review, thankyou. Was all set to go shopping... then saw the price. Ok I know it's a Moog and it does sound lush, but... I'll just have to forget I ever saw it :(

[@brugelxencerf]

who cares what he looks like or sounds like. Sounds like you're attracted to him. Stick to the music!

[@davidgtr]

thanks for the review....Im not sure if to get this or the minibrute

[@jahmark9336]

10.53 I love you x Peace and love from Bristol, England

[@JasonDeeCaldwell]

600$ too rich for my blood, im checking out the korg monotron its cheap and does the trick. besides cant beat a ms-20 filter!!

[@lovecouch7451]

Does anyone know if this thing drifts in pitch?

[@superdigital]

Makes me curious. Gonna check it out. Great vid! Cheers!

[@pedrogomis]

@thebaggytrouseredone I am also looking for it. It seems nobody sells it. :(

[@narudh]

really nice they remedied the sloppy VCO's in the LP, the waveforms are MUCH better than LP (which is SOOOOO rolled off). i think this has much more character than the LP.

[@ttoxique]

Want to know why they cutoff the top end notes? So that you'll buy a little/slim phatty or voyager.

[@soupforare]

@sonicstate Can you actually feed Hz/V into the CV ins or does it expect V/Oct? I'd say that some of the things left off makes it seem pretty low rent.

[@blee3621]

I think the moo-g pronunciation fits nicely with the bovine theme of the mini Taurus.

[@OttosTheName]

They are quite different. The Arturia is cheaper, has a 2oct keyboard, has a very awesome arpeggiator, has 3 more oscilators, has a noise generator, an LFO, an Vibrato, a Metaliser, a 'Brute Factor' (which is nothing super special, they just gave it a fancy name) and a Supersaw (maybe the Minitaur can make an almost similar sound, but not quite I think). So the Minibrute has more features, but Moog has many decades of experience, so it's a matter of personal preference. The Minibrute is totally

[@SPAZZOID100]

OttoNL only one oscillator.

[@tentakul7]

got one second hand, it s in the mail, can't wait, ... too eager... need bass... aaaargh .....

[@jamesmiddleton6998]

would it be suitable for plugging a bass guitar into? (either via audio interface and MIDI or through the audio input)

[@FreeThink1984]

you're right though, minibrute is ultimately more versatile considering the arp, the waveblending, lfo routing, and FULL note range. However, it doesn't do bass that well, although it's definitely possible. minitaur doesn't try to or need to be versatile. it's main purpose is to provide amazing bass and it's unique, taurus filter really does wonders to the bottom end... probably my next purchase.

[@CodyPMack]

“Moog” like “vogue” - per their site ;)