User Manual

9
CREATING SOUND
In analog synthesizers, each set of circuits performs a particular job; each oscillator, lter, and contour
generator is a self-contained module. The Minimoog Model D connects these modules together
internally using both audio signals and control signals. Audio signals are the sounds you hear emanating
from the sound creation circuits of the instrument. Control signals modify the settings of these
circuits by providing a continuously variable control voltage—the foundation of the voltage controlled
synthesizer. An additional type of control signal is known as a Gate or V-Trigger, which is simply used to
initiate an event. For example, playing a note on the keyboard sends a control voltage to the Oscillators
to change the pitch, and also sends a gate signal to trigger the Loudness Contour and Filter Contour
generators. Additional patch points are provided on the Top Patch Panel to expand the functionality of
the Minimoog Model D, and to allow it to interface with other voltage-controlled equipment.
SOUND EXPERIMENTS
If you are not familiar with analog subtractive synthesis or with the Minimoog Model D, here are some
quick experiments to introduce you to the main sound-creation components and their functions. Begin
by setting the Minimoog Model D front panel controls as shown below. Ignore any knobs or switches
that have no value indicated in the diagram.
1. These settings isolate OSCILLATOR–1 and route it through the FILTER. You can use the
OSCILLATOR–1/RANGE knob to select different octave settings, and the WAVEFORM knob
to listen to the distinct harmonic content of each waveform.
2. In the FILTE R section, experiment with the CUTOFF FREQUENCY and EMPHASIS knob settings to
see how the FILTER affects each of the different Oscillator Waveforms.
3. To make the sound less organ-like, rst turn On the DECAY switch located above the PITCH and
MOD wheels at the left end of the keyboard. Then play with the position of the ATTACK TIME and
DECAY TIME knobs in the LOUDNESS CONTOUR.
4. The FILTER has its own ATTACK TIME and DECAY TIME knobs. As you adjust these values, you
will also need to raise the AMOUNT OF CONTOUR value to hear the effect. Continue to explore the
FILTER CUTOFF and EMPHASIS knobs as you change these settings.
NOTE: Each of the knobs, switches, and other controls are explained in more detail in the following
sections of the manual.
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