I've always found that a poor design choice, and one which kept me from buying it. I suppose they wanted to limit the oscillator range to make it easier to dial in bass sounds. Still seems like a bad idea, but oh well...chk071 wrote:Sorry to revive this old thread, but... i'm wondering. Is there a technical reason for the oscillators being limited to the lower octaves, or is it a design choice? I know, they market is as a bass synthesizer, which should be the Taurus successor, but, IMO, being limited to the lower octaves seems somewhat of an odd decision, considering it could be so much more versatile if it wasn't.
Moog Minitaur
-
- KVRAF
- 7540 posts since 7 Aug, 2003 from San Francisco Bay Area
Incomplete list of my gear: 1/8" audio input jack.
-
- KVRAF
- 35436 posts since 11 Apr, 2010 from Germany
Exactly. Considering that it's the most affordable Moog, but still quite steep compared to other entry level mono synth, it seems even weirder to have such a restriction. I really like the sound of this thing, sounds great really, but, that's quite a bummer.
-
- KVRAF
- 1568 posts since 1 Aug, 2006 from Italy
It's a technical limitation: the oscillators are V/Hz, so they require to double the voltage for each octave.
This is an explanation on the Moog forum https://forum.moogmusic.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=14115
Also, there are reasons both for V/Oct and V/Hz oscillators: http://synthmuseum.com/magazine/linexpo.html
Since the Minitaur is part of the Taurus line, it makes sense to keep the V/Hz design (for sound reasons).
This is an explanation on the Moog forum https://forum.moogmusic.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=14115
Also, there are reasons both for V/Oct and V/Hz oscillators: http://synthmuseum.com/magazine/linexpo.html
Since the Minitaur is part of the Taurus line, it makes sense to keep the V/Hz design (for sound reasons).
-
- KVRAF
- 35436 posts since 11 Apr, 2010 from Germany
I see. So, no chance of fixing that with a update of the software editor, i guess. 
The explanation that there's a lack of tuning in the lower registers with a V/Oct design doesn't make too much sense for me BTW, i rather think they were going for a cheap design (after all, all the other Moog synths don't have that design, and i never heard someone complain about lack of tuning in the low registers...). But, frankly, i wonder if a price of initially over 600 € is appropriate then, because you pay 300 € for a Minibrute, and that one doesn't have the limitations of the Minitaur osc design, and it has more features too. 300 € for the Moog name? Well, the build quality is probably better too, but still...
I have a feeling that at least partly, it was done on purpose, to market is as the Taurus successor, and a pure bass synthesizer, while the other Moogs are supposed to be more of "general purpose" instruments.
The explanation that there's a lack of tuning in the lower registers with a V/Oct design doesn't make too much sense for me BTW, i rather think they were going for a cheap design (after all, all the other Moog synths don't have that design, and i never heard someone complain about lack of tuning in the low registers...). But, frankly, i wonder if a price of initially over 600 € is appropriate then, because you pay 300 € for a Minibrute, and that one doesn't have the limitations of the Minitaur osc design, and it has more features too. 300 € for the Moog name? Well, the build quality is probably better too, but still...I have a feeling that at least partly, it was done on purpose, to market is as the Taurus successor, and a pure bass synthesizer, while the other Moogs are supposed to be more of "general purpose" instruments.
-
- KVRAF
- 3271 posts since 22 Aug, 2012
Always thought the Minitar sounded great. Good to see further enhancements...
https://www.moogmusic.com/news/introducing-minitaur-v22
Moog plugin editors are fab too.
https://www.moogmusic.com/news/introducing-minitaur-v22
Moog plugin editors are fab too.
-
- KVRAF
- 1568 posts since 1 Aug, 2006 from Italy
I think it's not correct to say the Minibrute has more features than the Minitaur (or viceversa), each of them has some features which are missing on the other one.
For example, the Minibrute is a one oscillator synth with a suboscillator (so the tuning is fixed), while the Minitaur has two oscillators and the second can be tuned freely across a range of -12 to +12 semitones (and, especially with the recently added hard sync, it adds a lot of possibilities). At the same time, the Minibrute has more filter modes, more oscillator waveforms (it also has pwm), it has a noise source... but the Minitaur is fully midi-controllable (and it also supports high resolution controls) and the plugin is great for daw integration (for automation)... the list can go on...
I don't have a Minibrute, but I own both a Minitaur and a Microbrute (which has a character quite close to the Minibrute). While the Microbrute is very good at bass sounds, the Minitaur has more weight in my experience. Actually, it's the synth with more bass power in my collection (I own a few of modern mono synths: Minitaur, Pulse 2, Microbrute, MS20 Mini, Mother-32, Volca Bass).
I don't know if the price of the Minitaur is appropriate or not, probably the Moog name has a role in the final price, but also the digital control and the editor are part of that price.
When I bought the Minitaur, I was unsure because of the range limitation, but I have no regrets since then because of its sound. For other things I need other synths, unfortunately the Minitaur doesn't cover everything (I really wish it could!), but it's great for bass duty (which is what it's marketed for).
By the way, I have a soft spot for Moog products (and the Moog sound in general), so I may be biased in my opinions.
For example, the Minibrute is a one oscillator synth with a suboscillator (so the tuning is fixed), while the Minitaur has two oscillators and the second can be tuned freely across a range of -12 to +12 semitones (and, especially with the recently added hard sync, it adds a lot of possibilities). At the same time, the Minibrute has more filter modes, more oscillator waveforms (it also has pwm), it has a noise source... but the Minitaur is fully midi-controllable (and it also supports high resolution controls) and the plugin is great for daw integration (for automation)... the list can go on...
I don't have a Minibrute, but I own both a Minitaur and a Microbrute (which has a character quite close to the Minibrute). While the Microbrute is very good at bass sounds, the Minitaur has more weight in my experience. Actually, it's the synth with more bass power in my collection (I own a few of modern mono synths: Minitaur, Pulse 2, Microbrute, MS20 Mini, Mother-32, Volca Bass).
I don't know if the price of the Minitaur is appropriate or not, probably the Moog name has a role in the final price, but also the digital control and the editor are part of that price.
When I bought the Minitaur, I was unsure because of the range limitation, but I have no regrets since then because of its sound. For other things I need other synths, unfortunately the Minitaur doesn't cover everything (I really wish it could!), but it's great for bass duty (which is what it's marketed for).
By the way, I have a soft spot for Moog products (and the Moog sound in general), so I may be biased in my opinions.
-
- KVRAF
- 35436 posts since 11 Apr, 2010 from Germany
You're right in all you wrote. 
I'll definitely keep an eye on the Minitaur, maybe, one day, i'll get weak, and get one, after all, it's a very affordable option to get a real Moog synth. And, from what i heard, it really sounds great.
I'll definitely keep an eye on the Minitaur, maybe, one day, i'll get weak, and get one, after all, it's a very affordable option to get a real Moog synth. And, from what i heard, it really sounds great.-
- KVRAF
- 7540 posts since 7 Aug, 2003 from San Francisco Bay Area
Interesting about the V/hz technical limitation.
I still feel that the Minitaur is priced too high for a bass synth. Actually, it was a reasonable price when it first came out, but now the landscape has changed drastically in the low-cost analog synth competition. Given the price, I would rather buy two Behringer Model D's!
I still feel that the Minitaur is priced too high for a bass synth. Actually, it was a reasonable price when it first came out, but now the landscape has changed drastically in the low-cost analog synth competition. Given the price, I would rather buy two Behringer Model D's!
Incomplete list of my gear: 1/8" audio input jack.
-
- KVRAF
- 3897 posts since 28 Jan, 2011 from MEXICO
The Minute is very limited but it is great inside that limited range of sounds.
It is a keeper for me.
It is a keeper for me.
dedication to flying
-
- KVRer
- 7 posts since 26 Sep, 2017 from DISNEY WORLD
anyone is having the eternal "DISCONNECTED" issue with the minitaur?
I'm so upset that works so bad and so many people complaining but they do nothing to help, even the questions in their forums are left unanswered.
I'm so upset that works so bad and so many people complaining but they do nothing to help, even the questions in their forums are left unanswered.
Men are born ignorant, not stupid. They are made stupid by education. Bertrand Russell
-
- KVRAF
- 1568 posts since 1 Aug, 2006 from Italy
I guess you're on Windows... I can't help much because I'm on Mac and here it works fine (it's mostly a Windows issue, as far as I know).
The first and ovious question is if your Minitaur firmware, editor and driver are up to date... I think it was supposed to be resolved with the update issued last year...
The first and ovious question is if your Minitaur firmware, editor and driver are up to date... I think it was supposed to be resolved with the update issued last year...
-
- KVRer
- 7 posts since 26 Sep, 2017 from DISNEY WORLD
Yes to both questions.sin night wrote:I guess you're on Windows...
...The first and ovious question is if your Minitaur firmware, editor and driver are up to date... I think it was supposed to be resolved with the update issued last year...
It was supposed to be resolved yes, but it wasn't.
I not only tried the latest firmware (2.2.1) and usb driver (4.35.0), I also tried different combinations of firmware versions and old usb drivers plus the USB composite driver from windows, the generic one, etc, but seems to be that it's impossible to get it to work with the new Ableton 10.
The infinit -disconnected- error keep showing up.
The standalone version seems to work ok, but that's nothing new.
Windows 7 (x64) SP1 + Ableton 10
Men are born ignorant, not stupid. They are made stupid by education. Bertrand Russell
