Understanding and Using Your Moogerfooger ® MF-105B Bass MuRF ® TABLE OF CONTENTS Getting Started............................................3 Frequencies and Filters...............................5 The Bass MuRF’s Filters............................7 Envelope Generators.................................10 Sequencers and Pattern Generation.......... 11 The Bass MuRF’s Animation................... 11 The Bass MuRF’s Tap/Step Input............ 13 Audio Level Controls and Mixing............
Welcome to the world of Moogerfooger ® Analog Effects Modules! Your model MF-105B Bass MuRF® is a rugged, professional-quality instrument, designed to be equally at home on stage or in the studio. Its great sound and jaw-dropping effects come from state-of-the-art analog circuitry and quality engineering that you have come to expect from Moog Music® Inc. Your Bass MuRF is a direct descendent of the original Moog modular synthesizers and professional rack effects.
GETTING STARTED Here are some simple instructions on how to quickly plug in and try out your MF-105B. 1. Unpack your MF-105B. Place it on a table while you become familiar with its features. 2. Check that the power adaptor has a nominal rating of +9 volts, providing at least 300 mA (milliamperes) of current and is also rated at your country’s standard power voltage (120 volts A.C. for the United States and Canada; 100 volts A.C. for Japan; and 220 volts A.C. for most other countries).
. Connect an instrument cable from the LEFT/MONO jack to a line-level input on your amp or mixer. Turn the volume control on your amp down but not off. 5. Connect an instrument cable from your signal source to the AUDIO IN jack. You can feed virtually any instrument-level or line-level signal through your MF-105B. Examples are bass, keyboard, theremin, drum machine, or effects send output on your mixer. Play your instrument (or turn on the signal source).
instrument’s tone. You will hear the level of each of the 8 filters being turned up and down automatically in sequence by the Animation at a tempo determined by the RATE control. Note that changing the ENVELOPE control affects the shape that turns the filters up and down. The PATTERN rotary switch selects different patterns that dictate the sequence that turns the filters up and down automatically. The MIX control is used to blend the direct sound of your instrument with the effected sound. 8.
sound. Some types of filters (like the bass and treble controls on your sound system) have subtle, gentle effects on a sound’s timbre. Other types of filters have stronger and more dramatic effects, and are frequently used as vital elements in the music-making process. Strong filters include phasers, flangers, and wah-type resonant filters. A graph showing what a filter does is called the filter’s frequency response. The horizontal axis is frequency. The vertical axis is the filter’s gain.
The Bass MuRF’s FILTERS The Bass MuRF’s seven resonant filters have fixed center frequencies and a shelving(lowpass) filter that has a fixed cutoff frequency. These frequencies are shown on the legend underneath the filters’ sliders. Their frequencies are: 110 Hz(shelving filter), 160 Hz, 240 Hz, 350 Hz, 525 Hz, 775 Hz, 1.2K and 1.8K. Each filter has a slider that adjusts the gain of that filter. In this respect, the Bass MuRF resembles a graphic equalizer.
3) Make sure the effect is on, and MIX is at 10. 4) Connect just the “left/mono” output to your amplification You may want to experiment with the panel controls and switches as we discuss each of the parameters. 5) Now, play a bright, sustained sound, preferably of low pitch into the Bass MuRF. Figure 6 shows the MF-105B’s basic frequency response, the response that you hear when the panel controls are set up as in the basic setup. For a moment press the bypass switch and turn the effect off.
done two ways, depending on the position of the BANK slider switch. The switch, located below the PATTERN selector switch is labeled BANK A or B/LFO. When the slider is in the “A” position, the filters’ center frequencies can be shifted by an expression pedal (such as the Moog EP-1) or CV plugged into the LFO/SWEEP Jack. To hear how this works, return to the basic setup described in Figure 5. Plug a Moog EP-1 into the LFO/SWEEP control input.
ENVELOPE GENERATORS Now that we have explained the Bass MuRF’s filters, let’s proceed with some more definitions to explain the Animation function of the Bass MuRF. The term “Envelope” is used to describe the changes that occur to a musical sound, from its start to its end. A musical sound can have a rapid onset, like the plucking of a string or the striking of a drum. It can also have a gradual onset, like a slowly bowed violin.
SEQUENCERS and PATTERN GENERATION A Sequencer is used to generate reoccurring rhythmic patterns, often by triggering sequences of notes in synthesizers or drum machines. However sequencers can be used for purposes other than triggering notes - they can be set up to create reoccurring changes of timbre as well. Vintage sequencers were typically designed so there were a certain number of “steps”. The term “step” refers to the individual components of a pattern.
arranged in two banks of 12. An easy way to understand the Animation is to look at a simple pattern displayed on a grid. Figure 10 shows a graphic representation of pattern 2 in Bank A. The columns going left to right Figure 10 - Diagram of Pattern 2, Bank A are the steps of the pattern. The rows going from bottom to top are the individual filters. Illustrations of all the Patterns are in Appendix A, page 22. Return to the basic setting shown in figure 2, which features pattern 2.
and the transitions from filter to filter blurred, as the Attack and Decay become so long that the effect is crossfading from one filter to the next. 5) Finally, turn the ENVELOPE control up to 8. The effect now sounds “backwards” as the attack time is now smooth but fast, and the decay is abrupt. What happens as you change the ENVELOPE control is that the shape of the Envelopes controlling the gain of the filters morphs.
THE AUDIO LEVEL CONTROLS AND MIXING The DRIVE control adjusts the signal level at the Bass MuRF’s circuit input. With this control you can set the right input level for virtually any instrument or line-level signal source. Turn this control counterclockwise for strong input signals, and clockwise for weaker sound sources. The DRIVE light tells how strong the input signal is after being adjusted by the DRIVE control.
Note that the odd-numbered filters are sent to the left channel, and the even-numbered filters are sent to the right channel. This allows for spreading a sound’s frequencies between two speakers, which adds a “spacious” feel. EXPRESSION PEDALS AND VOLTAGE CONTROL You now know what each of the rotary controls does to the sound of the MF-105B. The ENVELOPE, MIX, and RATE controls have expression pedal/control inputs that duplicate their effects.
MF-105B with external control signal sources in the Technical Information section on Pages 17 and 18. SOME TYPICAL SETUPS UPWARD STAIRCASE WITH RHYTHMIC VARIATION Here is a variation on the basic setting of figure 2 that shows off the ability of the Bass MuRF to create rhythmic variations within the patterns. This is really nice with sustained sounds or slowly arpeggiated playing. BREAKBEAT This setup produces a beat by the rhythmic filtering of the input.
X-FACTOR This setup shows off how long envelope times, in relation to the pattern’s rate, creates a morphing timbre. Try increasing the rate on this setup to make for a more tremulous effect. TECHNICAL INFORMATION NOTE: The following information is intended for use by people who understand analog electronic circuitry and have enough practical experience to interconnect sophisticated electronic equipment correctly. POWER: The MF-105B works on +9 volts DC and uses a max of about 240 milliamperes of current.
An expression pedal for use with the MF-105B should contain a 50KW or 100KW potentiometer which is connected from the sleeve to the ring terminals. Figure 14 – Correct wiring for an expression The potentiometer wiper is pedal connected to the tip terminal. The pedal cable should be shielded, with the shield connected to the sleeve terminal. See Figure 14.
AUDIO PATH: The bypassed signal goes to the LEFT/ MONO output jack. Thus, when the Bass MuRF is bypassed, the signal at the LEFT/MONO output jack is the same as what your instrument is producing, and there is no signal at the right output jack. The MF-105B will not pass an audio signal unless power is applied to it.
MF-105B SPECIFICATIONS DESCRIPTION: Analog effects module incorporating two functions: 7 – band Resonant Filters and 1 - band Shelving (Lowpass) Filter and a 24Pattern Sequencer triggering Volume Envelopes for 8 Filters. FRONT PANEL FEATURES: DRIVE rotary control - adjusts the gain of the audio input to the effect. OUTPUT rotary control - balances the level of Bass MuRF’s signal when the effect is on with the bypassed signal when the effect is off.
level; +8 dBm absolute maximum output level. Output impedance is 1,000 ohms. RATE, ENV, LFO/SWEEP, MIX, all of which are stereo 1⁄4” jacks that accept Moogerfooger EP1 (or equivalent) expression pedals, or control voltages from two-circuit or three-circuit 1⁄4” jacks. TAP/STEP IN 1⁄4” phone jack – provides a means of syncing the tempo of the Bass MuRF’s Animation Patterns to the tempo of the music by pressing on an external footswitch (Moog FS-1, or equivalent) three times.
APPENDIX A: THE Bass MuRF’s PATTERNS BANK A 1) No Animation 2) Upward Staircase 3) Repeater 4) X-Factor 5)Perpetual Motion
6) Arpeggiated Filters 7) Rhythmicon 8) Prime Number Rhythmicon 9)Double X 10) Double Dip
11) Squiggly 12) Slowbeat BANK B - with LFO 1) No Animation 2) Downward Staircase 3) Down and Up
4) Upward Cascade 5) Pyramid 6) Asymmetry 7) Arpeggiated Perpetual Motion
8) Asymmetry 2 9)Folded Rhythmicon 10) Multi-groove 11) Breakbeat 12) Big Beat
APPENDIX B: Moog MuRF Pattern Step Adaptor (Sold separately) What it is: The MuRF Pattern Step Adaptor is a female to male 1/4” adaptor that attaches to your Moog (FS-1) footswitch cable and plugs into the tap/step input allowing the user to manually “step” through the patterns generated by the sequencer. Here’s how it works: 1. Attach the Pattern Step Adaptor to the Moog FS-1 footswitch. 2. Connect the Pattern Step Adaptor end into the Tap/Step Input jack 3. Start Playing.
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