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moog Werkstatt-01
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A E J O T Z



Joined: Aug 14, 2011
Posts: 423
Location: Griffith, Indiana, USA
Audio files: 148

PostPosted: Tue Aug 16, 2016 6:02 pm    Post subject: moog Werkstatt-01 Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

I just ordered a moog Werkstatt-01, the CV expansion board and a handful of patch cables. The gear should arrive later this week. I'm excited.

I'm most musically prolific in the autumn and the usual prologue to that productivity is a case of equipment lust that hits around August. This year it's right on time.

And this time I found myself wanting a moog ladder filter. I almost bought a Slim Phatty, but, it turns out, the Phatty does not have the traditional moog ladder filter. Besides, the SP is less toy-like than the rest of my gear and I was afraid of causing unrest in the studio. Razz

The answer kept poking at me via recommendations popping up on every other website I visited when looking for a deal on an SP. The ugly little moog Werkstatt-01 kept winking at me from the sides and bottoms of these site pages. Finally, I did some further checking into the little plain-jane "toy."

This glorified "moog-monotron" actually has a traditional moog oscillator and the legendary ladder filter. It's practically unplayable with thirteen crude buttons for a "keyboard" but it can be controlled via CV. This made the little light go on in what's left of my brain. My Microbrute has a pretty good CV I/O and patch port.

It turns out that others have already successfully and enthusiastically incorporated the Werkstatt with the Microbrute, giving the WS a keyboard and a step sequencer while giving the MB a moog ladder filter. That's pretty much wow territory.

Additionally, the MB can "translate" MIDI data into CV, so I can drive the WS with my Microkorg arpeggiator and my Microsampler's quantizing pattern sequencer. With these added abilities the Werkstatt looks better and better.

If anyone has been paying too-close attention to my past posts, they could remind me that I've said I'm not a fan of the haunted hollow sound of the moog. That remains true in some cases (e.g. Mort Garson) but the moog doesn't always have to sound like a tortured soul in hell. Some artists can make a moog sound very nice (Isao Tomita, Larry Fast). So let's see how a moog fits in with silly-ass AEJOTZ music.

I will review the moog Werkstaat-01 here and I will undoubtedly use it in recordings I post in Online Music. If anyone expresses interest, I'll give details on MB/WS interconnections as I figure them out.

_________________
AEJOTZ is pronounced "A-Jotz"
retro-futurism now
electronics = magic
free albums at http://aejotz.bandcamp.com
listen to genre-defying synthetic music at http://sat-5.com
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A E J O T Z



Joined: Aug 14, 2011
Posts: 423
Location: Griffith, Indiana, USA
Audio files: 148

PostPosted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 5:31 pm    Post subject: UPDATE ONE Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

No, it hasn't arrived yet. It arrives tomorrow. But I've been doing more research and I found something amusing.

The Werkstatt-01 was originally a kit provided to VIPs at Moogfest 2014 which they had to solder together Heathkit style. That's how I always thought an electronics kit was supposed to be.

The current commercial release of the Werkstatt-01 is not like that at all. It's entirely pre-assembled, electrically. The "some assembly required" in this instance involves putting the case on the unit. No, I'm not joking. Yes, they're still calling it a "kit."

I'm not complaining. In fact, I'd rather play with a working unit than burn my fingers and breathe solder fumes. I've had quite enough soldering in my life. I'm just sharing this because I think it's pretty damn funny.

And there is an advantage to doing it this way. You get to see its guts and you can do some calibration before you put its clothes on. Plus, it's good to learn about the many patch points and the built-in breadboard section. This looks like a good unit for beginner-level modifications.

If I do any modding it will be to disable the low-note-priority that this unit defaults to. The first synth that I ever played was like that. It was an early 70s moog that a friend wanted to sell me. It wouldn't make chords and the lower note played canceled any higher note. I thought it was broken.

_________________
AEJOTZ is pronounced "A-Jotz"
retro-futurism now
electronics = magic
free albums at http://aejotz.bandcamp.com
listen to genre-defying synthetic music at http://sat-5.com
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klangumsetzer



Joined: Jan 23, 2006
Posts: 513
Location: Sweden
Audio files: 32

PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2016 6:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Aejotz,

I really like the moog sound.
I wish you loads of fun with your Microbrute-Werkstatt setup. Very Happy

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Eike
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A E J O T Z



Joined: Aug 14, 2011
Posts: 423
Location: Griffith, Indiana, USA
Audio files: 148

PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2016 6:40 pm    Post subject: First Day with Werkstatt-01 Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

The package was waiting when I got home from work. Less than an hour later I was playing it.

First impression: What a piece of shite! I suffered major buyer's remorse even though the synth and expansion board only set me back 238.99 USD. The synth seemed to be no big deal at all. I tweaked this and that and frowned the whole time. I was not impressed.

I took a break and had dinner.

Second impression: What a sweet piece of gear! I hooked it to the Microbrute and calibrated it to play the notes right. Then I routed different things in different ways and slowed down my knob twisting and slider pushing in search of the sweet spots. Holy mother of dogs! I hit the mother lode! Once I got some things dialed in correctly the Werkstatt started curling and uncurling my hair.

For one thing, none of the dozen boards I've used have such a good bass. I've gotten in the habit of cringing when I get very far down the left side of any keyboard because I know whatever bass sound I'm using is going to sound like crap soon. So I kept cringing and going down on the moog... and the sonovabitch kept sounding sweet! What the @#$%? How is this possible?

And that filter really is amazing. But you don't hear it right until you slow it down. Gradual sweeps raise the hair on the back of my neck!

The envelope and LFO on the WS are merely OK but once I started controlling things with the MB it got magical. That mini patch port is gold.

And another thing; forget the low note priority. When triggered by the MB this moog is last note priority! Yay!

And another thing; yes, the step sequencer drives the WS and yes the Microkorg arpeggiator is translated from MIDI to CV by the MB!!!

Everything works together, just the way I hoped it would!

I have just successfully added moogy richness to my rig for less than $250.00 USD.

It WAS tricky getting the octaves right, but I got it nailed after awhile. The pot for that purpose was not enough. I had to mess up the onboard "button-keyboard" setting in order to make the external keyboard work. No problem there. Those buttons suck.

Pretty soon I was sailing up and down the 37 keys of the MK while tweaking the WS. An hour went by like nothing.

I don't know how much I'll use the WS on my tunes this autumn, but for sure my bass lines will be mostly from this thing for awhile.

The file below is not a tune. It's just some sound bites from an hour of experimenting. The sound is 100% moog Werkstatt-01 with no outside effects. It is mostly played on a Microkorg keyboard, using a Microbrute to convert the MIDI to CV. The clicking is only because I had the attack too abrupt. I adjusted attack later on and removed the clicking.


Workstatt day one.mp3
 Description:
My first evening with my new moog Werkstatt-01

Download
 Filename:  Workstatt day one.mp3
 Filesize:  3.08 MB
 Downloaded:  878 Time(s)


_________________
AEJOTZ is pronounced "A-Jotz"
retro-futurism now
electronics = magic
free albums at http://aejotz.bandcamp.com
listen to genre-defying synthetic music at http://sat-5.com
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A E J O T Z



Joined: Aug 14, 2011
Posts: 423
Location: Griffith, Indiana, USA
Audio files: 148

PostPosted: Sat Aug 20, 2016 9:23 am    Post subject: Modification 1 Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

From an electronics perspective this mod is not impressive.
But from a practical perspective, it rocks.

Problem: the tiny "knobs" (actually just the shafts of the pots) make fine adjustments difficult.

Solution: put some proper knobs on the sonovabitch.

It's hard to do a slow and even filter sweep with the cutoff control because its "knob" diameter is only 6 mm and I have caveman hands. Worse, trying to tune this bastidge with a 6 mm pitch control is frustrating enough to make me invent new cuss words.

Communications receivers (short wave broadcast receivers) have notoriousy large tuning knobs because transmitting frequencies are narrow and cramped and it's much easier to make tiny adjustments with a large knob than with a tiny one.

So I measured my shaft and went in search of a knob, which sounds absolutely pornographic. Radio shack only had knobs for 1/4" shafts but I figured I'd just shim. I bought a two-pack of 1.5" knobs, stock number 274-0402.

On the way home I tried to think of a good way to shim the shaft. That sounds kinda funny, too. Anyway, I thought I'd start with a piece of plastic straw. I knew I'd put several straws in the back of the tableware drawer but when I got there the cupboard was almost bare. There was but one green straw in a green and white paper wrapper that said "Not recommended For Use In Hot Beverages." Wife says it's a Starbucks straw. I measured the depth of the knob with the tip of the jeweler's driver I got out to tighten the knob's setscrew and cut a piece of straw that same length. Then things got wierd; good weird. The straw was exactly the right inside and outside diameter to adapt the 6 mm shaft to the 1/4" knob!

I put one knob on the frequency and one on the cutoff. They work beautifully; and look just fine, which wasn't an important consideration but I'll take it. The knobs do obscure the VCO, FREQ, VCF and CUTOFF labels but I know what the knobs are for without those labels. Duh.


WS knobs.jpg
 Description:
 Filesize:  130.96 KB
 Viewed:  474 Time(s)
This image has been reduced to fit the page. Click on it to enlarge.

WS knobs.jpg



_________________
AEJOTZ is pronounced "A-Jotz"
retro-futurism now
electronics = magic
free albums at http://aejotz.bandcamp.com
listen to genre-defying synthetic music at http://sat-5.com

Last edited by A E J O T Z on Sat Aug 20, 2016 11:57 am; edited 1 time in total
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A E J O T Z



Joined: Aug 14, 2011
Posts: 423
Location: Griffith, Indiana, USA
Audio files: 148

PostPosted: Sat Aug 20, 2016 11:47 am    Post subject: Dueling Filters Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

[This isn't really a tune. It's not even a real filter comparison. I was just trying out my new knobs on the moog by tuning it an octave from the 'brute and playing with the filters on both synths while a step sequence played.]

In this corner (left channel)... wearing new knobs and sporting a ladder filter... the Werkstatt!

And in this corner (right channel)... wearing a lovely set of pastel patch cables and sporting a Steiner-Parker filter... the Microbrute!

Now shake waveforms and come out fighting.

[funny thing about this track; it sounded good from speakers, then I plugged in my flat-response cans to mix it and it sounded like shit. I think the 12" woofers might have something to do with it.]


dueling filters.mp3
 Description:
moog ladder filter (left) vs Steiner-Parker filter (right)

Download
 Filename:  dueling filters.mp3
 Filesize:  1.86 MB
 Downloaded:  861 Time(s)


_________________
AEJOTZ is pronounced "A-Jotz"
retro-futurism now
electronics = magic
free albums at http://aejotz.bandcamp.com
listen to genre-defying synthetic music at http://sat-5.com
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A E J O T Z



Joined: Aug 14, 2011
Posts: 423
Location: Griffith, Indiana, USA
Audio files: 148

PostPosted: Sat Aug 20, 2016 5:44 pm    Post subject: my first moog tune
Subject description: moogstrosity
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You can hear my first moog tune by visiting http://electro-music.com/forum/post-421423.html#421423

UPDATE 8-21-16

I just listened to the tune again. Wow, it really sucks. The sounds are stupid, the timing is off and the arrangement is utterly uninspired. It was a rush job and it sounds like one. Sorry about that.

And the coolest part I heard when I was playing it got lost in mixing or conversion or something. Somehow, although the WS is a one oscillator synth, it was playing two notes at one point in the "melody." More precisely, the highest note in the sequence continued to sound during the next note (actually the same note, one octave lower) and remained until another note was triggered. I double checked and the gain on all my other synths was zero. Apparently it was some kind of resonance or feedback in the synth circuit.

Anyway, in the MP3 version you can hardly hear that high note at all, so the effect is lost. Oh well. "moogstrosity" is right!

_________________
AEJOTZ is pronounced "A-Jotz"
retro-futurism now
electronics = magic
free albums at http://aejotz.bandcamp.com
listen to genre-defying synthetic music at http://sat-5.com

Last edited by A E J O T Z on Sun Aug 21, 2016 3:27 pm; edited 1 time in total
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MusicMan11712



Joined: Aug 08, 2009
Posts: 1082
Location: Out scouting . . .

PostPosted: Sun Aug 21, 2016 3:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

[removed for personal reasons]
Last edited by MusicMan11712 on Tue Nov 15, 2016 10:16 pm; edited 1 time in total
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A E J O T Z



Joined: Aug 14, 2011
Posts: 423
Location: Griffith, Indiana, USA
Audio files: 148

PostPosted: Sun Aug 21, 2016 5:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Thank you Steve.

I often get the urge to do a show. I DJ'd two different shows on ScrubRadio.com, one electronic and one anything-goes. I loved doing it but I had to quit when my day job became too demanding. By the time things settled down at work, ScrubRadio was gone.

And I'm most musically productive in autumn, so I want to use every spare moment for that.

But around the first of each year my productivity tapers off and I become obsessed with getting my new material heard. That would be the time for me to host a webcast of diverse synth/electro, liberally peppered with my own silly tunes.

_________________
AEJOTZ is pronounced "A-Jotz"
retro-futurism now
electronics = magic
free albums at http://aejotz.bandcamp.com
listen to genre-defying synthetic music at http://sat-5.com
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A E J O T Z



Joined: Aug 14, 2011
Posts: 423
Location: Griffith, Indiana, USA
Audio files: 148

PostPosted: Tue Aug 23, 2016 5:33 pm    Post subject: moog made me break my Werkstatt Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

I had a crappy day at work today but planned to come home and do a mod to the moog. It was the easiest possible mod. I just had to remove a jumper from the WS board and put it on the CV board.

[This mod replaces the moog osc with audio in instead of just adding it. That's desirable because the moog osc is LOUD while the audio in is quiet. I wanted to use the moog filter on Microbrute audio but I couldn't @#$% hear it.]

I have a tiny enough soldering iron but my eyes are too old for this crap. I put on reading glasses and still had to use a magnifying glass to see the tiny solder points. I still didn't see them very well so I wasn't terribly surprised when I reassembled the moog and nothing worked.

After I quit cussing and had something to eat I looked things over again. Turns out the new position for the jumper sits right on top of the WS top cover. Good idea, nerds. I resoldered the jumper, in case it had broken, insulated the jumper points from the case with a piece of electrical tape and reassembled everything EXCEPT the mounting screw closest to the jumper.

Cross fingers, power on... BLAAAAAT!!! Yay! It works!

Let that be a lesson to you. Never trust instructions. I downloaded these instructions from moog last week. The CV expander board was released in January of 2015!!! Considering that this has been a clear design flaw for 20 months, don't you think they would have revised the instructions?

[No, don't think that, or next you'll be thinking that someday the "bug" that sends all your cleared browser history to Bill Gates will be fixed; or that the US income tax will prove to be, as the government promised, temporary.]

If my explanation isn't clear and anyone wants clarification before doing this mod, just PM me.

_________________
AEJOTZ is pronounced "A-Jotz"
retro-futurism now
electronics = magic
free albums at http://aejotz.bandcamp.com
listen to genre-defying synthetic music at http://sat-5.com
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View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
A E J O T Z



Joined: Aug 14, 2011
Posts: 423
Location: Griffith, Indiana, USA
Audio files: 148

PostPosted: Wed Aug 24, 2016 6:35 pm    Post subject: LADDER FILTER FUN Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Tonight I played all my main synths through the moog ladder filter. I already played the Microbrute through it last night but I did some more experimenting with the strange waves you can make with the MB. Then I connected the left channel only (mono) of the Microkorg and played a pulse width mangled square wave through the filter. Finally, I pulled up one of the strangest, boingiest sounds on the Casio "Cosmo" CZ-101 and ran it through the moog filter.

Verdict: Hooplah!!!!

The moog filter is sweeter than the one on the MB, smoother than the one on the MK, and the CZ doesn't even have a filter!

Well... NOW it does!!! Now my Cosmo has a @#$% LADDER filter!!! This kicks proverbial ass!!

Someday I'll have to try the moog filter with the classic Casio sounds on my CT-470, my orchestra of sounds on my Yamaha PSR-520 rompler and the Mellotron samples I bought for my Microsampler. Wowsers!!

UPDATE 8-27-16

I compared the moog oscillator sounds to the same waveforms on the Microbrute and Microkorg. My old ears could not tell the difference. Even when I dialed up some LFO-swept PWM I could not tell the difference.

Bottom Line: The Werkstatt will mostly provide a resonant filter for my other synths. Since it's a superb resonant filter, I'm getting my money's worth and it's a great addition to my rig.

_________________
AEJOTZ is pronounced "A-Jotz"
retro-futurism now
electronics = magic
free albums at http://aejotz.bandcamp.com
listen to genre-defying synthetic music at http://sat-5.com
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View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
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