Moog Music Officially Announces the New Moog Grandmother Semi-Modular Synthesizer

Adrian Younge's Thesis On Sound ft. Moog Grandmother Published on May 14, 2018 Moog Music Inc

Update: SoundCloud demos added below.

Some "module" components based on vintage Moog modular systems:
CP3 Mixer with asymmetrical clipping behavior
904A Filter
911 Env
902 VCA
905 Spring Reverb
Oscillators based on the Minimoog w/ additional hard sync

"To explore the sonic possibilities and cosmic context of Grandmother, Moog Music visited the Linear Labs studio of artist-composer Adrian Younge (Black Dynamite, Netflix’s Luke Cage).

In this video, Younge gives his personal 'Thesis On Sound' while incorporating Grandmother into his retro-inspired creative workflow at Linear Labs."

The Build & Sound of the Moog Grandmother

Published on May 13, 2018 Guitar Center

"From the Moog Music factory in Asheville, North Carolina we were privileged to get a look at Moog's new semi-modular analog synth, the Grandmother. Engineers Eric Church and Mark Crowley take us through the build process on the production line as well as a demonstration of the features including the interconnectivity with the Mother 32 and DFAM.

Impecable quality, magical sound, semi-modular, fully analog monophonic synthesizer with dual oscillators, arpeggiator, sequencer, and built in spring reverb. Experience it for yourself!"

Moog Grandmother Synthesizer - First Impressions and Sounds with Justin Meldal-Johnsen

Published on May 13, 2018 Musician's Friend

"Introducing the Moog Grandmother synthesizer! Grandmother is a semi-modular analog synth that offers classic Moog sound, an intuitive signal path and endless sound design possibilities, thanks to its expansive 41-point patch system.

To offer you an in-depth look at Grandmother we recently spent the day with musician and producer, Justin Meldal-Johnsen. Justin's production credits include M83, Wolf Alice, Paramore, Metric, Jimmy Eat World, School of Seven Bells and more. Justin is also known for his great bass, guitar and keyboard playing, as a touring and recording musician with Beck, Nine Inch Nails, Air and more.

Grandmother builds on Moog's impressive legacy with circuits inspired by Moog's own classic Modular Synthesizers. Grandmother features a fully-analog sound engine, and features dual oscillators based on the Minimoog, classic Moog 4-Pole ladder filter, an impressive Modulation section and on-board spring reverb."

via Moog Music

Today we release Grandmother, a semi-modular analog synthesizer with a built-in arpeggiator, sequencer and spring reverb tank that harkens back to Moog’s modular roots, where synthesis is not only about the end result, but the journey of discovery and experimentation.

Grandmother's semi-modular design ensures that human beings of any skill-level can easily explore and experience the joys and magic of analog synthesis -- start playing immediately with “no patching required”, then explore an infinite sonic playground with Grandmother’s endlessly reconfigurable front panel and analog spring reverb tank."

"Grandmother is a sonic playground that harkens back to Moog’s modular roots, where synthesis is not only about the end result, but the journey of discovery and experimentation. While capable of highly complex sounds and modulation, Grandmother's semi-modular design requires absolutely no patching, ensuring that human beings of any skill-level can easily explore and experience the joys and magic of analog synthesis.

Inspired by the classic Moog modular synthesizers that came before it, Grandmother's sound engine, modulation engine and onboard spring reverb tank are completely analog, resulting in an unrestricted sonic vocabulary of immeasurable beauty and power. In addition, Grandmother also features an easy to use Arpeggiator and Sequencer for added enjoyment and programmable syncopation.

Though not required, creative patching and exploration are the keys to discovering exciting new relationships between modules and to truly unlocking Grandmother’s infinite expanse of auditory inspiration. Patching can also be used to override internal connections, allowing each section to function just as an independent module would.

In addition to its standalone function, Grandmother is also an ideal analog audio processor for external sound sources, and a powerful keyboard front end for expanding a Mother-32, DFAM or Eurorack modular system.

Follow-up to this post.

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Telecult Powers + Moog, live streamed synth improvisation and reading

"Good afternoon! This is Mike Sugarman from Ad Hoc getting in touch about an afternoon of synthesis and reading that we put together for this coming Saturday, 3/29. There is no cost for attendance, and we will be broadcasting it for the entire internet to see.

There is this huge Moog installation at the Rough Trade store over here in Brooklyn, and we figured it would be fun to use this opportunity to play with Billy Corgan's recent Siddhartha debacle. [posted here]

From 3 to 6 PM EST on Saturday the 29, Mister Matthews and Witch Beam will unite once again as Telecult Powers, performing a continuous improvisation on this massive Moog set-up while friends of theirs read from the very book they named the band after, Reese P. Dubin's Telecult Power.

Ad Hoc will be recording and live streaming this via ustream for all the internet to see. Consider the candle-lit happening a kind of cybernetic ceremony of the occult, in the grand tradition of other electronic mystics such as Mort Garson, Maryanne Amacher, and Bruce Haack. Witch Beam, in fact, is immersed in Cleveland's theosophical community, and tends to call Michael Bertiaux the spiritual mentor of Telecult Powers.

That evening the members of Telecult Powers will also be performing at The Ho_se in Bushwick. Witch Beam will be performing solo and Mister Matthews will be playing in his new band THE CARVER with members of Grasshopper. Both Mister Matthews and Witch Beam have just released solo tapes out on 905 Tapes. Mister Matthews builds modular synthesizers as True Color of Venus.

Attaching the flyer and providing all the requisite links. Below, you'll also find a list of all the gear at the installation.

Hope you dig!

Best,
Mike

------------------------------------
Live stream at: ustream.tv/channel/ad-hoc-fm

Rough trade event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1432436693669190/

The Ho_se event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1417160825207218/

905 Tapes: http://www.905tapes.com/

Ad Hoc: http://adhoc.fm/

Equipment:
3 drone towers filled with:
Slim Phatty
Minimoog Voyager Rack Mount
6 Moogerfoogers
CP-251 Control Processor
VX-351 & VX-352 (CV inputs and outputs for the Voyager)

Drum rig:
6 Minimoog Voyager Rack Mounts with drum pads triggering each

Guitar rig:
6 Moogerfoogers
20 Minifoogers set indifferent orders for experimentation

Producer's desk

Minimoog Voyager Rack Mount
2- Slim Phattys
Minitaur
Sub Phatty to control the rack synths
6 Moogerfoogers (all synths running through them
Laptop with Ableton Live & ProTools"

R.A.Moog modular lead solo "Too Much Caffeine"

Published on Aug 14, 2013 CZRider01·9 videos

"Lead patch using a 1969 R.A.Moog Modular with a pair of 901 oscillators and 904B High-Pass filter. The 904B gets the crazy resonance from a positive feedback loop through the CP3 mixer. Using a Moog 1120 pedal CV patched into the 904B for wah-wah effect. Background sequence from Minimoog and a Q960 sequencer. Minimoog is patched through the 907 fixed filter bank, 905 reverb, and a 902 VCA. Percussion via an Emu Procussion patched through an MOTM 420 in HP mode and MOTM 410 tripple resonator filter."

Custom Moog Modular System 55 For Sale

"Modules Included: 901, 901A, 3-901B, 4-902, 903, 2-904A, 904B, 907A, 4-911, 911A, 921, 951, 960, 961CP, 962CP, 984, 991, custom 994 (3x), 2-CP3A, CP4A, upgraded CP8A


This Custom Moog Modular System 55 has two very unique features: Two 904A low pass filters and both the 901 and 921 series oscillators. Having two 904A's greatly expands the flexibility of the sound engine and the addition of the 921 control oscillator adds functionality while maintaining the richness of the sonically superior 901 series. The system also has an upgraded power supply which helps maintain oscillator stability. This synthesizer was not designed to be looked at or used as a fancy minimoog -it was built to be a complete and complex electronic sound machine. $62,000.00 For show in LA, CA. Serious inquires and buyers only contact: info@aisounddesign.com"

Update via 3P in the comments: "Not a 55. Module placement is different, the Moog module logos are Trumansburg/Williamsburg era. And there are no 921 Series oscillators."

And via Unknown in the comments, there's actually a 921 in the system. Top row to the left of the four channel mixer, pictured here to the left.

Update2 via the seller: "What is meant by 'System 55' is basically a main cab with single tier, rather than a 35 which was just the main cab. "Module placement is different" ie "Custom." Looks like a 921 and there are a lot of RA Moog logos. This system is a unique design; a hybrid of multiple generations. Also note that the 962CP is very rare, most module lists don't seem to mention it."


Update3 via Brian in the comments: "Likely NOT delivered from the factory that way. It is what it is, but calling it a System 55 is not correct. The 901 oscillators were discontinued in 1972, when the 921's replaced them. At the time, NO ONE felt the 901s were superior in any way (some of us now think differently). I see a mixture of RAMoog (1960s generally) and Moog Music modules there (1972 and later), too.


Again - any customer could order anything from the factory, but it's highly unlikely this was ordered this way; rather it is built from traded in-out components to make a great system. I'd MUCH prefer to have one like this with both sets of oscillators. All the MAJOR synths by major players were not stock catalog versions, but custom rigs for their needs."

Update4: via Moog1P in the comments: " The bottom cabinet looks to be an early 1C configuration. Every component is there, with the blank panels replaced with the 962CP and 961CP. The placement of the two CP3 mixers would have been to the left, under the 901AB bank and under the 901. At some time the system looks to be upgraded with the installed CP961/962 sequencer components, where the CP blanks were removed, and CP3's moved to the right.

Would be an early 1C as this one has the very first Lexan type lighted flip switchs, only seen on late '67, early'68 models. All the correct lexan switches are there, two sets for the oscillators, and a set for the filter, with trigger/envelope routing, making the cabinet a 1C. The 2C would have 3 CP3 mixers, and the 3C would have 4 CP3 mixers with no CP routing switches, as they were on seperate 1U panels for filter and trigger/envelope.


The module placement above is what you would order any way you wanted. Not uncommon to order a 1C with an extra 901C, and to ommit the 905 reverb to add the 904B high pass filter, direct from the factory. Looks like what we have here. The only other addition to the lower cabinet is the 1U blank replaced with 911A trigger delay. And at some time (definitely not Moog), the removal of the Cinch male S-trigger from the 1/2/3 trigger outputs. (Probably done when the CP3's were moved and 961/962CP added.)

The upper cabinet is an add on, possibly at a later time, but could have been part of the original order. At that time the additional 984 quad mixer, envelopes, VCA's were added. The 960 sequencer, probably added much later, when the bottom CP panels were moved. And much later 921 added. Does not look to me to be a unit made from other Moogs, but rather a 1C with a few add-ons. Everything is there from an early 1C with many period correct additions. Very nice unit, only missing the 905 reverb and 956 ribbon controller. Wouldn't take much to undo those questionable mods to restore this to original specs."