SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
Submitted via IRC for Fnord666
Moog brings back its legendary Model 10 'compact' modular synth
Moog regularly releases new and exciting instruments like the Matriarch and Sirin. But it also has a rich history of iconic instruments that it's not afraid to tap into. For example, the Minimoog Model D. But its latest adventure into its archives is a bit of a different beast. Rather than bring back an iconic keyboard found on countless pop records, it's reviving the Model 10 -- a "compact" modular synth built around the 900-Series Oscillator that was the foundation of Wendy Carlos' immortal Switched-On Bach. ([engadget] Editor's Note: Why is this not on any streaming services!?)
[...] Inside its black tolex-covered wood cabinet are 11 different modules that can be connected in various ways create a whole world of rich synth tones. There are three 900-Series oscillators, as well as the legendary 907 Fixed Filter Bank, which is a large part of what gives vintage Moog synths their iconic sound.
All of these components are assembled and soldered by hand down in Asheville, NC. But the bad news: The Model 10 will only be available for a limited time and is being made to order. Those three things mean it does not come cheap. It's available through select Moog dealers starting at $9,950. So yeah, it's a hardcore enthusiasts only kind of purchase. But, that's probably a bargain compared to a vintage Model 10... if you can track one down that is.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Friday September 20 2019, @02:03PM (1 child)
Can that be a control option introduced via a firmware update?
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Rich on Friday September 20 2019, @03:01PM
The system in question does not have any firmware :)
Two sources of drift:
1.) when you have a fully analog keyboard, the pitch voltage goes to sample/hold in some designs. If that is a bit lossy, you'll hear the note drift while you play.
2.) the exponential converter that converts from conveniently manageable Volt/Octave to Ampere/Hertz needed to charge the oscillator's capacitor. This is a transistor pair with a scaling that varies over temperature. This needs either compensation or thermal stabilization, the Minimoog was both built with a CA3046 transistor array and a temperature compensating resistor (before S/N10175) and with a uA726 heated transistor pair at nominal 78.4°C (S/N 10175 and above). Values and Numbers according to the service manual. This is the loss of tuning and scaling experienced during warmup.
Today, those heated pairs are no longer manufactured, but platinum PTCs are available at about 2€ each that do the job to a level of precision that the elders dreamt about. For a purely analog mono, you'll have a tuning knob anyway, and for a poly, there is a tuning routine (either explicit button, or background autotune) that adjusts the DAC values needed for the control voltages.