What modules in VCV Rack 2 Pro & Standard are recommended that are based on Moog modular modules such as the Minimoog preferably? I discovered the AJH Synth Mini Mod Vintage Transistor Core Minimoog modules on www.modulargrid.com and want something just as good in VCV.
… comes to mind.
The Slime Child Audio collection is very good.
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The first one shared of Moog is an emulation of the Moog Model V and the Slime Child is Subharmonicon emulation is what you shared. I was hoping someone could give me a lead to some sort of Minimoog emulation module if VCV has it. Minimoog could be great for chordal sequencing with 4 modules one for each note in a chord.
The Mockba one is literally a Minimoog emulation but you do you I guess.
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I assume that with ‘Moog style modules’ you aim to emulate certain Moog/Minimoog sounds? What kinda ‘Moog’ sounds are your specifically looking for? Bass? Lead? Other? Examples?
Mostly, when people think of emulating the ‘Moog/Minimoog sound’ they focus on Bob Moog’s mega famous, successful, studied and imitated 4-pole Ladder filter. And for good reasons…
Perfect Circuit article (with audio examples)
Deep Dive: Vintage Moog Modular Synthesizer Filters
Defining the Moog Sound
So, going for a 4-pole Ladder filter seems the obvious way to go. But not all Ladder filters are alike. And other filter designs should not completely be discarded…
Certain filters might be very good for certain ‘Moog style’ sounds but the same filter might not be so good for for other ‘Moog style’ sounds.
Anyway…
Here’s a(nother) great 4-pole Ladder LPF. Very smooth and good for many Moog style sounds (including Bass). But the resonance does not go into self-oscillation territory.
Bidoo - IIMbO
BTW
The Oscillator shapes are also pretty important, since the provide the basic spectral content to work with. Pretty important in subtractive synthsesis, since we can only subtract/remove/filter/attenuate certain frequency regions. And not add/modify/construct.
Not all sine, triangle, square/pulse and sawtooth are alike. Especially in analog gear, the waveshapes are not ‘mathematically/geometrically perfect’ and/or consistent over the ‘keyboard/frequencies/notes’.
Do not simply expect to only see a single harmonic for a sine oscillator. Or just odd harmonics at 1/rank-squared amplitude for a triangle. Or only odds at 1/rank for a square with each (100/pulsewidth) missing for a pulse. Or all at 1/rank for a saw. There could be all sorts of (more or less subtle) variations in shape and therefore spectrum.
There are studies on just that bit of Moog magic…
Discrete-Time Modelling of the Moog Sawtooth Oscillator Waveform https://www.researchgate.net/publication/220057893_Discrete-Time_Modelling_of_the_Moog_Sawtooth_Oscillator_Waveform
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What I would love to get is a Minimoog Model D Moog module that is just one oscillator for polymetric multi sequencer control based on this - #1 MiniMod VCO | Moog Oscillator Eurorack I really want to combine 4 individual oscillators to use different settings on each one and various chordal structures. 4 gates 4 cv’s with variable settings is my desire. That Mockba is too simple for my purposes. I want to do classic moog polyphonic sequencing that isn’t possible in one giant module. I listened to some of the AJH Mini Mod sequence demo’s and also some classic MOTM sequence demo’s that I want to nail with VCV.
People like Dave Benham, Lisa Bella Donna, Robert Rich and Steve Roach have some interesting Moog sequencing on Bandcamp and Youtube I like.
That’s a very good find of those mini Mockba modules. Thanks. I think they can suit me but I normally would like to have an octave switch on each module instead of just a cv input. The octave switch is useful to toggle and tweak in clever ways while coordinating patches. Oh well.
That AJH MiniMod system looks fat. Like a cross breeding of a modular like a system 55 and the MiniMoog specs for the filters and vcas and envelopes. Pretty jazzy setup,
The fun of VCV is building something like hardware but with the pluses and minuses of digital environment. So dive in and grab a few modules that look good to you and read their manuals and see if they will make a good fit for your music. Moog style is a thing, but not a huge thing in VCV rack, yes there are some that claim to emulate, especially the ones mentioned above like Mockba, Slime Child, and that Bidoo filter, but you could try some units that really have the goods even if they may not claim Moog emulation. Many things that are part of the Moog style synth are so elemental to our use of synths now that now Moog developed concepts are kinda baked into many modules already. You could go down that list and try a few modules in each category and setup a great patching rack for sure. I’ll throw out a few based on that AJH rack.
Glide Noise - I would reach for the Befaco Slew limiter for glide. For noise just grab the fundamental VCV Noise module.
VCOs - My pick would be Surge XT Classic or Modern for the ability to emulate the drift of analog osc and its powerful Unison features. Other fun classic style osc would include, VCV VCO, Befaco Even VCO, Vult Vessek ( with built in glide and ring mod and waveshaper), and the Instruo TSL and CSL.
Filter - I would try the several Vult filters and the Surge filter in 24db ladder mode.
EG - I would try the stock ADSR and/or the Surge XT EG VCA or even the Surge XT LFO EG for super creative capability
VCAS - most are super duper clean and digital VCA designs but some emulate some analog curve like the Surge XT EG VCA and some provide soft clipping like the Befaco Stereo Strip. You will need to stack your own cascade pair, I am sure this is a design to implement velocity in the second vca.
ADDERs - I like the ML Constants and the Bacon HarMonee for this sort of thing, you will need a little mixer to actually do the adding like a VCV CVMIX.
LFOx VCA- Surge XT or roll your own from other modules like Surge XT Quad LFO and any VCA. RING MOD - This is a math function so you really only need a logical mixer with the function built into the mixer, like the Befaco A*B+C will ring mod the A and B inputs. C provides offset of that or just use the A and C inputs for a simple mixer.
SEM filter - SURGE XT FILTER
GAIN control - almost all the filters I use in rack have drive controls and will actually overdrive at the filter output, to “drive” your VCOs just wavefold/waveshape for more/less harmonics ( Surge XT Waveshaper)
DHADSR - BOG Audio has one of these and I believe this full range is available in the LFO EG from Surge XT
Muting Mixer/VCA - MindMeld is this and so much more
I hope I was helpful, but the real secret to loving this process is to experiment for your own music’s sake and not to hit some magical perfect hardware emu.
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Just put an Octave module before it on the CV in or map a module to be a switch by changing the freq on the module.
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Good news on those tips, guys. I’m a little squemish about going very far in VCV Rack still because it has WAY WAY too many good modules and I really don’t know which ones have that fine analog/digital appeal. But the lists you gave a great start, cubist.
I really have been considering diving in and building a multi module hardware eurorack with 4 AJH modules and several very nice diigital envelopes with some wonderful spectral oscillator magic and a nice verbos oscillator I chose and also whatever else but there is a give and take factor to hardware involving that for one you only have a finite amount of modules to interconnect and for another you can get that fine analog appeal if you can counteract issues with recording in one take as opposed to the digital permenent saves and massive interoperability.
Ponctuation 
Even in the simplicity there is entropy
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The surge filter in vintage ladder mode contains a couple of mid 2010s research paper approaches to the moog ladder filter. The sub modes switch between two models and each has a classic or can add a bass compensation (which the moog doesn’t have hence the bass drop at high resonance). It’s high cpu but can get you that squanchy sound
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Can you get a nice slightly detuned 70’s style Berlin school moogishness in that? I’m questing for answers on VCV today from experienced sound designers instead of testing myself for now to see if I want to get into it.
Regarding your enlightening list what I wanted in the Moog modules really isn’t that bass or that squelch or that brass chord stuff. I was considering the SlimeChild Subharmonicon emulation for Berlin school 70’s classic slightly detuned moog style sequencing or the MOTM style Robert Rich Moog music I had in mind to make but I think the real Subharmonicon could be a better alternative. What modules of the ones you mentioned in your replied list are ideal for the styles I want to make?
the filter gives it the characteristic bass cut and sort of squeaky squanchy sound. For the detuned moogishnes yeah use oscillator drift (or when XT 2.2 drops in a day or two use the unison module to drift another).
Here’s a little sequence which pushes around some of those features to give a sound which, while I would certainly not say is like a fully modeled minimoog, has many of the characteristics that if I head it I would say “hmmm is that a minimoog on that record?”
ForThatCommunityThread.vcv (6.1 KB)
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That’s nothing like Berlin School or Rich but thanks anyhow…
Yeah I don’t know those styles I just kinda know how some of the public dsp research for the moog and analog drift components shook out and how we put them in surge.
Hope it helps with your quest and best of luck!