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Tag: Sub 37

  • The Moog Minifooger MF Delay paired with a Sub 37

    The Moog Minifooger MF Delay paired with a Sub 37

    Within a day after working with the Moog Sub 37 analog synthesizer in my studio I needed some delay. I had purchased an Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Boy a few months ago to pair with the Sub 37, but it ended up being used in another part of the studio. I wanted a dedicated delay pedal for the synth.

    Enter the Moog Minifooger MF Delay.

    Moog’s Inexpensive Minifooger Effects

    Moog entered the effects pedal industry a few years ago with the excellent, but quite pricey, Moogerfooger line. Considering the money I just spent on the Sub 37, a more inexpensive solution was needed. Moog introduced the Minifooger line in the past couple of years for just this reason.

    Moog MF Delay
    Moog’s Minifooger MF Delay resting on top of my Korg Z1. The Sub 37 lies just outside view. Photo by Author.

    The Minifooger MF Delay sports a street price of just under $200, making it a perfect partner for the Sub 37. One arrived at my door two days later.

    The MF Delay is the Antidote for Anger

    Sitting on top of my Korg Z1, the MF Delay easily found a home with its partner in crime, the Sub 37. The controls and their functionality feel familiar to anyone who has ever used a delay pedal. The standard array of Time, Feedback, Drive, and Mix controls work as expected.

    I/O is also as expected, with 1/4-inch inputs and outputs as well as an input for an expression pedal. A switch in the battery compartment allows for pedal control of either the Time or Feedback parameters as needed. The pedal’s delay time varies from around 35 to 700 milliseconds, more than enough to give a synth a bit more color and motion.

    The MF Delay’s Drive knob adds up to 22 dBs of signal boost, which is really useful for grunging the sound up, especially when the Sub 37’s filter Multidrive setting is also boosted. Cranking the Feedback knob to 11 causes the pedal to self-oscillate, perfect for a bed of outer space inspired freak outs.

    Needless to say, Moog’s Minifooger MF Delay makes for a perfect companion to any of the recent spade of analog and virtual analog synths. Don’t let guitar players have all the fun — pick one up today!

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  • Five Great Improvements for the Moog Sub 37

    Five Great Improvements for the Moog Sub 37

    Don’t get me wrong, the Moog Sub 37 is a stunning piece of analog synthesizer gear. The thing sounds wonderful and expressive, with a panel full of knobs and switches sure to delight any synth head. It’s my best musical device purchase in years — maybe ever?!

    Having said all that, there are still some potential enhancements to make the Sub 37 even better. Feel free to mention any mistakes or incorrect assumptions I’ve made in the comments. After all, I’ve only had the thing for a week and a half.

    Show Existing Memory Location Name when saving a Patch

    When saving a patch on the Sub 37, you can either overwrite its current location or anywhere else among the 16 banks that each contains 16 locations. But the interface doesn’t display whether there’s a patch currently stored when browsing locations, making it easy to mistakenly overwrite a patch.

    Moog Sub 37
    I did finally turn on the Sub 37. Photo by Author.

    I’ve spent a lot of time auditioning the factory presets and making little tweaks that I want to save somewhere else. Not knowing if I am going to overwrite another patch is a constant issue.

    When perusing memory locations looking for a safe home for saving a new patch, simply show the current patch name or “Init Patch” somewhere on the LCD display. The new name for the patch doesn’t need to be displayed after it is confirmed in save mode, so use that “screen real estate” for the memory location’s current contents.

    Move the Oscillator Section to the Left

    Since this is a hardware issue, I don’t expect anything to change, but it surprises me that the oscillator section of the Sub 37 is located in the center-right of the synth’s panel. It doesn’t seem intuitive, especially considering the original design of the Minimoog. Currently, the Glide, Arpeggiator, and Modulators (LFOs) take up that space.

    At a minimum, the oscillators need to be left of the modulators. I guess I’ll have to get used to it!

    Need to be able to edit Sequences

    The Sub 37’s robust sequencer and arpeggiator functionality is the main reason I waited 10 months for this Moog synth instead of getting a Sub Phatty. It is really easy to create new sequences, but I can’t find any way to edit them other than starting over. The firmware needs to add a way to edit sequences.

    I wish there was an Easy Way to see Loaded Patch Settings on the Panel

    This is a common problem with any recent analog or VA synth that combines hardware knobs with digital patch storage. It is impossible to “see” a freshly loaded patch represented on the panel. Moog does a nice job with flashing indicators denoting LFO or arpeggiator speed, as well as the modulation destination settings.

    I’d like to see something similar with the modulator sources and even the current waveform setting. Maybe potentiometers with an embedded LED to denote the original patch setting? Thanks to my ideas, the Sub 37 now retails for $6,000!

    Six Knobs for the DAHDSR Envelopes

    Hell, let’s increase the retail price of the Sub 37 a bit more. It’s a drag that you don’t have six discreet knobs to control the DAHDSR envelopes — you get four with a switch to bring in the Delay and Hold parameters. Two more potentiometers, Moog, just two more!

    I love my Sub 37; I really do! I realize that the hardware design of the synth won’t change, but hopefully a firmware update from Moog is in the works to improve the patch saving and sequencer editing use-cases.

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  • First Impressions of the Moog Sub 37

    First Impressions of the Moog Sub 37

    Well, after a long wait — a bit too long methinks — Moog’s hot new analog synth, the Sub 37, arrived at my door yesterday. Our cats were quite intrigued with the box, but unfortunately for them it wasn’t to become their plaything du jour. The box contents are all mine.

    The Sub 37’s packaging is quite nice, including a basic introduction to analog synthesis on the box itself. A printed manual and a nearly poster-sized one-sheet listing the synth’s panel controls and functions rounded out the paper documentation.

    Tiptoe through the Sub 37 Presets

    I spent the next hour or so running through the Sub 37’s nice variety of presets. As expected, this synth covers a wide range of sounds with everything easily tweakable from the array of panel controls.

    Moog Sub 37
    The Sub 37 says “turn me on, please.” Photo by Author

    I wish I knew about Pot Mode before diving in, as the default ABS setting causes parameters to immediately jump to a knob’s physical value when touched. This led to some unmusical filter pops when tweaking the cutoff frequency knob. Moog recommends using either THRU or RLTV for live performance and ABS mode during sound design sessions. This setting is accessible using the Global menu.

    As you may have heard, the Sub 37 sounds incredible. The classic 4-pole Moog filter gets a little extra bite with the Multidrive control. This thing is capable of a full range of classic sounds from basses to leads to outer space.

    The synth’s paraphony comes into play in Duo Mode, where the two oscillators are capable of playing two notes at once through the same filter. Holding down a drone note with one finger while doing a lead with another is a blast.

    The Sub 37’s two DAHDSR envelopes are hard-wired to the filter and amplifier respectively. Both are capable of looping, which lends itself nicely to creating patches with a sense of motion. I would have preferred having six discrete knobs to control the envelopes instead of using a switch to access the Delay and Hold settings, but this isn’t a big issue.

    Yes Virginia, the Sub 37 Sequencer can do Odd Time Signatures

    Whenever I get new piece of musical gear — hardware or software — if there’s a sequencer, the first thing I check is whether or not you can vary the time signature. It’s not like everything I do is Crimson-esque avant-prog, but I want the option (3/4 is my favorite timing anyway.) Thankfully, the Sub 37 sequencer is capable of any number of steps from 1 to 32. Boom!

    Latching the arpeggiator also led to much fun with my TrapKat easily accessible for some quick motorik beats — in 15/8! I just bought the world’s most expensive and coolest metronome! Modulation options abound with the two LFOs.

    Needless to say, Moog has a winner on its hands with the Sub 37. The fact that I had to wait nearly 10 months for delivery after my pre-order beautifully illustrates that point. Expect to read more about the Sub 37 here at TabMuse as new discoveries are made!

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