MATRIXSYNTH: Search results for donimoog


Showing posts sorted by relevance for query donimoog. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query donimoog. Sort by date Show all posts

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Don Martin Moog Modules


images via this auction

The infamous Don Martin Moog modular. For those that do not know the story, Don Martin obtained the rights to the MOOG name after the company went under and while Bob Moog was doing business as Big Briar. Bob Moog eventually won his name back, but not without having to fight for it. You can see a letter from Bob regarding the name in this post. Be sure to click on the Donimoog or Don Martin link at the bottom of this post for more. The "Donimoog" refered to the Don Martin Minimoog. You can see some in the prior posts.
The modules in these auctions are an interesting bit of synth history.

Modules listed (note the first 901A nd 910 power supply are genuine RA Moog):

1 x '71 Moog Modular 901A Osc Controller Module
1 x RA MOOG 910 power supply
2 x MOOG 901A / Don Martin 9501B
2 x MOOG 911 / Don Martin 9511
1 x MOOG 902 / Don Martin 9502
1 x MOOG 904A / Don Martin 9504A

Note the Don Martin modules added the 5 after the 9. Also note the 901A is a 9501B? Not sure if that was a typo in the auction or the correct labeling per Don Martin.

Tuesday, February 11, 2020

Don Martin's Moog Music Cincinnati Modular System

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

Not the sharpest pics, but this is definitely not something you see everyday. A Don Martin Moog Modular. Don owned the rights to Moog Music while Bob Moog was running Big Briar. Bob sued Don Martin to get the name back in time for the release of the Voyager and Bob Moog's re-entry into the synth market. There was also Alex Winters in the UK who own the rights to the Moog name at the time, making Minimoogs (you can see one here). Don Martin also made a Minimoog, often referred as the Donimoog.

This is a fascinating bit of synth history.

From the listing:

"Don Martin's Moog Music Cincinnati Modular System
8 modules + Power Supply and cables
you can find info about these modules at moogmodular.com and on the net (Bob Moog, Don Martin, lawsuit, etc.)

1 X 9501A oscillator controller
1 X 9501B oscilator
1 X 9504A low pass filter
1 X 9504B high pass filter
1 X 9503A random signal generator
1 X 9502 voltage controlled amplifier
2 X 9511 enveloppe generator

power suplly
connectors cables
s-trig cables (+trig converter if needed)

those modules are sold as collector items.

they are faithfull recreations of the first moog modular, using the same strange power voltage, fully compatible with original moog systems, but not with modern standards.

the high pass filter is not working properly, due to a component failure, but I can probably have it fixed.

I deliberately set a high price to avoid an impulse buy which could create a misanderstanding.

If you are interested, you can contact me, ask anything you would like to know and make an offer.

The photos are a little blurred so I will post more and better photos later.

Thanks for your interest."

See the Don Martin/Donimoog labels below for additional posts.

Friday, February 23, 2007

Don Martin Mini


Click here for more images of this Donimoog sent in by an anonymous reader. According to the person that sent it in, the "sound is very good, and extreme close, quasi the same as the original mini, I only noticed a different filter tracking." Except that,there are 7 other main differences (physical) Can u find them?"

For those of you not familiar with the Donimoog, Don Martin actually owned the MOOG name in the US when Bob Moog was running his company under the Big Briar name. Bob sued and eventually won his name back. You can read more in this Sound on Sound article where the following was pulled:

"In the 1990s, three new companies appeared, each bearing the Moog name, although none was connected with Bob Moog himself. In addition to the short-lived UK company Moog Music Ltd (see the 'Cambrian Capers' box towards the end of this article), there was the US-based Moog Music Inc, a company owned by a character named Don Martin who made lavish promises of new Minimoogs and other classic Moog products, took deposits from customers, but failed to deliver and then allegedly disappeared. The other company was Moog CE, which built modules for original Moog instruments such as the System 55 and IIIC. The owner of Moog CE, Michael Bucki, recently reached an amicable arrangement with Bob Moog, selling his name back to him, and renaming his company ModuSonics. He is still in business.

With Don Martin's Moog Music Inc defunct, and Moog CE renamed, Bob Moog was then free to rename Big Briar Moog Music Inc, and to undertake the development of the Minimoog Voyager. Except in the UK, of course, where it is marketed and sold as the Voyager By Bob Moog"

So can you spot the 7 differences? : ) BTW, DO NOT MISS this post.

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Modusonics MOOG Modules


"All reissue modules are newly manufactured, based on vintage Moog Music Inc. Buffalo, NY design, and are hand-built and calibrated to meet or exceed original factory specifications. All newly designed Modusonic products are compatible with all vintage Moog Modular products. Modusonics reserves the right to change specifications without notice."

Title link takes you there. Note Modusonics was originally named MOOG CE. The owner, Michael Bucki renamed the company when Bob Moog sought the name back. You can read more about this and the infamous Minimoog Model E in this post. Note the Model E or Donimoog was manufactured by Don Martin of MOOG Music Inc., not Michael Bucki of MOOG CE.

Pictured is the 904A Voltage Controlled Low Pass filter.

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

The Rare Welsh Minimoog Model E Synthesizer

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

This one was spotted and sent in via M Me. You can find a few in previous posts here. There was a period when Moog went out of business and Bob Moog ran Big Briar. Two individuals grabbed the Moog name, Don Martin (Donimoog) in the US and Alex Winters in the UK / Wales.

Google translated from this German listing:

"For sale is a rare collector's item, a Minimoog Model E.

Only about 3-5 of these were built. The manufacturer was Moog by Alex Winter from Wales. When Bob Moog lost the naming rights to his original company in the USA, Alex Winter from Wales bought it for Europe and built a handful of Minimoogs. The condition is very good, except for a scratch on the panel in the right control panel.

It has the same features as the Minimoogs from the USA, but also has PWM for the oscillators and has MIDI.
The sound is absolutely identical to the other Minimoogs.

The buyer can look forward to a well-kept, very rare device, which has the advantage of being significantly younger than the old Moogs and can be integrated into a modern setup due to the midi connection.

I took over the device from a friend who owns a large collection of synthesizers, who bought the device through the company 'Touched-by-Sound'."

Thursday, January 06, 2011

Five G


flickr set by jboberg
(click for more)

follow-up to this post.

That's a Teisco 110f on the right. See the super size shot here. Sequential Circuits Prophet-5s & more in the middle shot, and Moog modular below.

Update via the world of next tuesday in the comments: "Those are 1990s Cincinnati Moog modules from before Bob reclaimed his trademark in the last photo. The cropped picture hanging on the upper right of the modules is Isao Tomita's real Moog which they restored a while back."

See this post and the Donimoog label below for more.

Wednesday, December 09, 2009

1981 MOOG CE Modular Synthesizer Owners Manual


via this auction

"It is a reprint bought from Moog CE in Buffalo when I was putting a system together in the mid-90's

Huge detailed 190 page book, covering every module and system config from the glory days of the 60's ~70's Moog Modular . . orig copyright of 1981"

See the Modusonics label below for more info on Moog CE aka Moog Custom Engineering.

Update: after Moog Music folded, three companies grabbed the name - Moog CE aka Modusonics owned by Michael Bucki, Moog Music Inc owned by Don Martin and Moog Music Ltd in the UK. See this post for more including a link to a great Sound on Sound article on Bob Moog's comeback with the Voyager.

I updated all Donimoog and Modusonic posts with the same labels so you can find related info on each of the new/interim Moog companies. Be sure to parse through all of them and don't miss this letter from Bob Moog himself.

Thursday, August 10, 2023

Moog Minimoog Model D Rev 2

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.


Update: It's come to my attention this listing could have been a scam. Remember, ALWAYS go through Reverb and eBay for their buyer protection as listed on Reverb here, and eBay here. If you try to make a deal outside of Reverb and eBay to save a few bucks, you will not be covered.

Here is the listing for reference:

via this auction

Note auction links are affiliate links. See the site's privacy policy for more info.

"Purchased in 1995, I've cherished this piece. However, after months of contemplation, I've decided it's time to part with it. Everything functions perfectly. Includes owner's manual, tuning instructions, and an ATA road case.

Some believe that Rev-3 offers the steadiest tuning, but it feels commonplace to me. Rev-1 had an erratic power supply, resulting in its distinct sound. Personally, I favor Rev-2—slightly unstable, yet it preserves Rev-1's unique character."

Regarding revs I almost thought this was a Don Martin Minimoog Model E aka Donimoog or the Welsh Minimoog as the Reverb listing had 1995 in the title. I realize that was the date purchased by the seller in the listing description.

I was curious how many different revs were documented and decided to see if Wikipedia's Minimoog article might mention them. They don't (and they don't mention the Doninmoog or Welsh Minimoog, but they do have this interesting bit on a Taco Bell connection:

"Moog Co released the first Minimoog in 1970.[3][4]: 232  Moog said it was conceived as a portable tool for session musicians, and the team expected to sell "maybe 100 of them".[5] Moog became acquainted with former evangelist and musician David Van Koevering, who was so impressed with the Minimoog that he began demonstrating it to musicians and music stores. Van Koevering's friend Glen Bell, founder of the restaurant chain Taco Bell, allowed him to use a building on a private island Bell owned in Florida. There, Van Koevering hosted an event he billed as Island of Electronicus, a 'pseudo-psychedelic experience that brought counterculture (minus the drugs) to straight families and connected it with the sound of the Minimoog'."

Think about that the next time you have Taco Bell.

Friday, October 05, 2012

"Moog" Minimoog Donnimoog Synthesizer with Original Box


via this auction

"Here it is, one of the weirdest episodes in synthesizer history. Just Google Donnimoog and you'll get some interesting stories. I met Don Martin a couple times in the 1990's, but I didn't get this directly from him. I was browsing the old Dr. Sound store in NYC when they had just gotten this piece in the door. Believe it or not, it's a good sounding synth. Doesn't sound exactly like an old Minimoog Model D, perhaps because of the age of the components or if there were some design changes. There's probably a thread on some forum about the specifics. To my ears it sounds more like an original Minimoog than the Voyager/Phatty, but it's purely subjective. Other than the slightly different colors of the rocker switches, it's a visual doppelganger. Serial Number 13285, so I guess he picked up where the real ones left off. We actually used it in the studio for a while, but it's been in the closet in the original box for at least 10 years now. Still looks brand new. Spock with a beard."  See the donimoog label at the bottom of this post for more.

Monday, June 28, 2010

Rare Minimoog Model E - Type 204E


via this auction

Note this is a Model E, not Model D. That would mean it is "The Welsh Minimoog" manufactured by Alex Winter's MOOG Music in the UK. See this post for more details. Also see the Modusonics label below. Note the Donimoog was yet another minimoog produced after the original Moog music folded.

Note how the switches are different from a standard Minimoog, and includes PWM.

Thursday, August 01, 2013

Big Briar Moogerfooger CP-251 Control Voltage Processor

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

"This Auction Includes The CP-251, Power, The Original Manual, A Detailed Review That Explains It In Use, And A Moog EP-1 Expression Pedal."

For those new to Big Briar check out this wikipedia article. In short, the original R.A. Moog Co. formed in 1953 under Bob Moog, and was renamed to Moog Music in 1972. Bob Moog left in 1977 and formed Big Briar. In 1986 Moog Music went into bankruptcy. Don Martin acquired the name in the US and came out with the Donimoog and Alex Winters in Wales acquired the name in the UK. Bob Moog managed to get the Moog name back in 2002 just in time for the Minimoog Voyager.

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

MOOG Minimoog Model E


Note Model E, not D. This is "The Welsh Minimoog" manufactured by Alex Winter's MOOG Music in the UK, referred to in the previous post. The other "non-MOOG" Minimoog E was Don Martin's Minimoog often referred to as the Donimoog (previous posts). Don Martin owned the rights to the name in the US until Bob Moog won the name back in time for the Voyager, however in the UK the Voyager was released as the Voyager by Bob Moog (more info in the previous post).

Image and details pulled via this auction

Details:
"You're looking at a Minimoog Model 204E Analogue Synthesiser - the 'Welsh' Minimoog!

It is in mint condition - I am the sole owner from new, when I bought it in 1999. It has never left the house. It is also fully functional - all controls, switches and keys work perfectly. It comes with the original manual and power cable.

There are one or two 'gremlins' in the system, which were present when I bought it, but they didn't concern me enough to address. I feel I should mention these so as to make the buyer aware!

- there is a slight 'tick' noise which can be heard periodically whilst playing. The below sound demo shows it at its worst. I've no idea what causes it - I know that Moog Music Ltd. had a number of 'bugs' to iron out, so I suspect this is one of them. It's never really bothered me.

- plugging in a set of headphones and lowering the headphone volume to minimum will result in a humming sound. This sound is only audible in the headphones and does not occur with the main outputs (high or low).

My reason for selling is because I've had it eight years and feel like a change.

So what is a 'Welsh Minimoog' then? Moog Music Ltd., based in Caerphilly, Wales was set up in the 90's to reissue Moog Modular parts before setting out to recreate the classic Minimoog... with a few enhancements! From what I understand, only five Minimoog Model 204Es were made before the company went under. I was lucky enough to acquire one (cost £1500 at the time!).

The improvements are as follows:

- Ultra-stable oscillators - these have yet to go out of tune in eight years.
- Transpose switch - the range of the keyboard has now been increased by +/- 1 octave.
- Digitally-scanned keyboard
- PWM on Oscillators 1 & 2 when they are set to Square/Pulse waves. Osc 3 in LFO duties provides modulation.
- Multiple Triggering - the envelopes can be set to multiple triggering, in addition to the original's single triggering.
- MIDI - the Minimoog Model 204E features MIDI built-in (not a retrofit).

The picture below is of the actual synth and by following the link below to my 'music' page, a set of demos that I recorded can be found at the bottom of the list.

http://www.soundclick.com/greenalsatian

Here are some other demos that I recorded, including the 'tick' - this was from a test in which I taped down a note for half an hour - the 'tick' only occurred once, but the frequency of it can vary.

http://media.putfile.com/Minimoog-Tick
http://media.putfile.com/Camel-esque-Lead-Noise-Filter-Mod
http://media.putfile.com/Minimoog-Stranglers-esque
http://media.putfile.com/Minimoog-Devo-ish-Bass
(if the links go down, they are mirrored here)

Here is a link to the review of a pre-production model on Sound on Sound. The issues mentioned in the review were resolved on the production model.

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/oct98/articles/minimoog204e.html"

Sunday, August 13, 2006

Bob Moog Letter to MMR - February 1998 - New Mini Mentioned


So is this the first public mention of the Mini to become the Voyager? If you know of an earlier mention please post in the comments.

This is a xcan of an article sent to MMR by Bob Moog, published in February of 1998. I checked the AH archives and the first mention was on Monday, April 20, 1998, in reference to this interview with Bob Moog in the May 1998 issue of Sound on Sound.

The company Bob is referring to in the letter is Don Martin's as he owned the rights to the Moog name at the time. Don produced copies of the original Minimoogs and some modules. The minis were eventually referred to as the Donimoog or the Model E, as the Model D was the last of the original Minimoogs. Bob Moog took Don Martin to court and won the rights of his name back in 2002. You can find more on Moog with a mention of Don on wikipedia.

Friday, September 09, 2005

Minimoog Model E

Update: From Tom at Music Thing via the comments of this post:

"They still own the name in the UK - you can't buy any Moog products here, they're all badged 'Big Briar': If you look at these product pages, you won't see any mention of Bob at all:
http://www.turnkey.co.uk/tkweb/stockdetail.jsp?sku=BIGB-VOYAGERS&context=BSTOCK
or
http://www.turnkey.co.uk/tkweb/stockdetail.jsp?sku=BIGB-PHASER&context=BSTOCK "

Interesting! I didn't know that.

Another rarity up on the *bay. This one is a Moog Minimoog Model E. What's so rare about it? Well, the original Moog Minimoog production run stopped at Model D. The Model E is a remake produced in the UK in 1999. Title link will take you to a SOS article on the Model E. Side Note: There was also the Donimoog produced in the US. This was the company Bob Moog fought over to get the Moog name back, not the UK Moog Music Ltd.

"The Minimoog 204E was an authentic reissue from Moog Music Ltd. which was based in Wales. They acquired the rights to the name in the UK some time in the '90's. I don't know how many they made (I waited six months for mine) but I do know they folded some time in 2000, so I was lucky enough to get one when I did. This makes this version of the Minimoog somewhat of a rarity."

Click here for a bigger pic.

Minimoog Model E
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