Moog Minitaur Bass Synth - SonicLAB Review

[@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]

🐸

[@sonicstate]

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

[@sonicstate]

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

[@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

[@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

[@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

[@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

[@jahmark9336]

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

[@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 .

[@sonicstate]

@DesenlaceDesastrozo honestly cant say I didnt notice anything from tuning

[@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!

[@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.

[@Az00ra]

@sonicstate Probably worth mentioning the benefit of (Hz/V) over (V/Oct) is improved pitch stability. It negates the need for the tempco resistors that (V/Oct) synths need to try to compensate for drift caused by changes in temperature.

[@ttoxique]

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

[@rbizla]

Another top-notch review! Cheers.

[@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.

[@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

[@lovecouch7451]

Does anyone know if this thing drifts in pitch?

[@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

[@thebaggytrouseredone]

So much choice for affordable Analogue Synths now, I'll be watching the Minitaur. Thanks again Nick for a great review.

[@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

[@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.

[@theeltea]

@davidgtr I am still deciding as well. Guessing the Moog is a bit more thought out... Though the filters are totally different, and so is the sound... I'd get both, I guess.

[@davidgtr]

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

[@djeliseon4478]

Will it play stereo audio music from my DJ controller for live real time sound effects mixing

[@sonicstate]

I dont think so, you'd need a stereo Audio Pass Through which I dont think this has

[@djeliseon4478]

@@sonicstate thank you for your response, I we would like to use it connected to my mi xxx controller to create live sound effects to my mix blends I am real time .using digital stereo audio mp3 or wave .thanks for the info

[@cecinestpasunepipe]

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

[@SPAZZOID100]

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

[@AlbertSirup]

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

[@Heathcliff_hensel]

They keep updating the firmware. Now you can use the editor an an AU plug-in in your DAW.

[@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.

[@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?

[@warbread]

The key range limit is interesting. Does anyone know what happens when you tune OSC2 up and then play the highest key? Or use the pitch bend to move up an octave past C72?

[@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.

[@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

[@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.

[@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?

[@SPAZZOID100]

Why does it only give us a 3 octave range??

[@RyanHarris77]

Because it was designed as a bass synth.

[@RyanHarris77]

I had the upper three octaves removed from my Volca Bass and it feels a lot more like a traditional bass instrument now.

[@noiselabproject9659]

because you didn`t read what was written on the tin and are looking for a Synth that can do everything ?

[@noiselabproject9659]

James Reeno Good for the Volca then. I`m still happy with my Minitaur though and it provides more Beef than my Pulse 2 for example even though the Pulse 2 is a lot more versatile overall. I guess that I`m saying that the Minitaur makes a very decent Bass synth without breaking the bank too much but really isn`t the kind of device to own unless it`s part of a more extensive setup, the Slim Phatty in the case of Moog would be a better option in that scenario

[@SPAZZOID100]

Noiselab Project still no reason for moog to limit the octave range. Volca is $150

[@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.

[@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...

[@CubicSugar]

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

[@mattsynth]

No patch storage in the harware, are we back in the middle ages?

[@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?

[@jamesmiddleton6998]

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

[@timothyhawkins7285]

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

[@CaptainErn]

when you get the minibrute, you should go cv out of the mini brute to the cv in of the minitaur and experiment with their aux ins. that would be great.

[@rg7120]

There's the Aruturia Mini V, which is a Minimoog emulation, for $100. It doesn't sound too bad until you add resonance to the filter. Arturia's Modular V is basically a modular version of the Mini V and sounds the same to me, but it's a lot harder to use. GForce also makes a Moog simulator called the Minimonsta for $150. If you search the internet there are also free soft synths that are supposed to sound like a Moog, but none of them that I've tried have been good.

[@SPAZZOID100]

rg7120 creamware minimax.

[@H4NDCRAFTED]

Great in depth review, as ever! Liked.

[@SPEFINZEPHYR]

So I gather I can use this with a 49 key midi controller?

[@originalfallinggirl]

Does anyone know which midi controller he uses?

[@pedrogomis]

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

[@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)

[@sonicstate]

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

[@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...

[@superdigital]

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

[@silkee]

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

[@allehooop]

Brilliant review, thanks mate

[@blee3621]

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

[@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.

[@kb1629]

Thanks for the very detailed review.

[@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.

[@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.

[@curtisjeffs6547]

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

[@scottbeckstead33]

Curtis Jeffs Yes

[@1CreationStation1]

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

[@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!

[@Xachampo]

best review of this synth!

[@hubeydubeyD4]

Hey does anyone know what kind of keyboard he's using?

[@souldjir7456]

its m-audio axiom... check m-audio site...

[@gcorbin5848]

M-Audio Axiom

[@jrawlinson666]

Great review, thanks. Will you be doing a minibrute review anytime soon? Not sure which one to get...

[@Methanol2000]

Getting the "Moog sound" using software is quite hard.

[@SPAZZOID100]

Methanol2000 creamware minimax ASB.

[@streetsandlanes]

Thanks Nick! Very informative.

[@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.

[@TylerANDBABE]

yes yes please answer this! like what would offer the deepest of bass?

[@soanis6362]

How hard is it to implement this sound using software?

[@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.

[@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?

[@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.

[@TotallyNuss]

Well, that's not really the same thing now is it?

[@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.

[@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.

[@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!

[@Jasonweckard]

I really want one.

[@viruslived]

How did you mount the minitaur to your controller?

[@DSBaughm]

@sonicstate I'm torn between picking up this or the minibrute. Which is more bang for the buck?

[@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?

[@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.

[@dead-tones5009]

as always great explanations straight to the point and valuable ! I am struggling to read the presets via the editor and therefore to store them to the hardware as well ..perhaps u could help please ?

[@iRumble1]

Great review!

[@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

[@danielmori7112]

No PWM is such a shame.

[@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

[@GuitarsAndSynths]

Pair this up with a Moog Mother 32 and Korg MS-20 for a portable analog rig and good to go!

[@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?

[@Dogboy73]

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

[@FrancisJoa]

The limited key range is really easy to understand. It´s written on the Hardware - bass synthesizer. lol

[@SPAZZOID100]

FrancisJoa volca bass. Plays ALL octaves. $150.

[@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.

[@danielericpetersen1]

Thanks! very helpful review.

[@MoogKorgfan]

By the way , loved your bit on the Kooooorg microstation ! Nike .

[@wotmate1440]

Can you automate parameters on this synth using a DAW? Thanks in advance!

[@kyleparker3576]

+Wot Mate yep

[@NigDub]

Yes I believe these are incoders