Exploring the Moog filters...

[DanielS]

When we got the Moog filters, I tried to A/B some patches using the new filters. I could't hear much of a difference.

This week I had the chance to get my hands on Arturia's MiniMoog softsynth. Though I have heard and liked many soft VAs, this was the only one that got me excited. Big, fat, great sound. I have never had the chance to play the real thing, but the soft clone I liked so much I'd loved to have it in hardware (as a VA with 32 poly of course).

So I said "let's see if the Virus can simulate that sound with it's Moog filters". After 4-5 hours I came up with the patches I have attached here. To my ears, the results are almost identical to the sound of Arturia's MiniMoog.

Now I can see what was meant with "Moog Filters". Yes, these filters are very different from the original ones and I could never have achieved these results without them. Try changing the "2P" to "LowPass" and you will hear day and night difference on the sound.

The patch I called MoogBS2 is a simulation of the first patch that is loaded in the Arturia when you open it. I like that sound very much and it is supposed to be the trademark sound of Moog Bass, a simulation of which we see present on every synth on the market.

MoogArp is the attempt to recreate a great great arp patch called C..80 something on the Arturia.

MoogBS1 is a bass derived from the arp patch and MoogBS3 is a variant with sustained bottom.

I must say that another parameter that made a great difference in the sound by adding lower end and warmth was the Analog Boost.

As a side note, Arturia's arp has a parameter called "Repeat", where the notes repeat before the next octave is played. Very nice. I'd like to see that in our Virus as well.

As a closing note, I don't know how close Arturia came to the real thing, but it certainly sounds great. What's even better, our Virus proves to be so versatile, it comes very close to the MiniMoog. Of course, I have seen noone come close to Virus's unique sound (which I bought it for).

DanielS