Playing the Minimoog Model D - Carlo Mezzanotte

video upload by carlomezz

"Some fun - actually, a whole lot of fun - with a vintage Minimoog model D from the Seventies. Just some tweaking/playing, messing around with the controls with no set plan. It has just been serviced, and it's a joy to play.

First of all, the pitch bending is all wrong*! This Mini has the original implementation of the pitch wheel; not only the bend range is that crazy sharp fifth (or flat minor sixth) which is the norm for all non-modified Minis; the pitch wheel also has *no return spring - which makes for a rather crazy pitch-bending experience!

It also has the older oscillator bank, which is said to be more unstable but fatter as well. It tends to drift a lot for sure, as you can hear in many of the segments. And it sounds really fat!

It was recorded directly. And since this video wasn't intended as a demonstration of any kind, I couldn't resist adding some slight ambient effects, which only becomes really noticeable with percussive sounds.

As you will hear and see, I used the old "filter feedback" trick rather liberally; low-output into ext input creates a saturation of the filter circuit. You can see it every time the overload indicator lights up. Also, in several sounds I used a slight amount of audio-range oscillator FM.

This particular Mini belonged to someone I knew; a good musician and a friend, who sadly passed away not long ago. Playing it has been an intense and emotional experience, and of course a treat as well.

The audio went slightly out of sync with the video during the conversion process; I apologize for that. Also, there's a very short black spot in the video around the halfway point."