Minimoog Model D – Reissue vs. Vintage Compared

Synthesist Marius Leicht shared this head-to-head comparison of a modern Minimoog Model D reissue and a vintage Minimoog Model D.

Leicht says that, while there are definitely audible differences between a new Minimoog and a vintage one, he prefers the modern Model D reissue.

Topics covered:

0:00 Introduction
2:11 Minimoog version history
6:20 A/B Comparison
14:06 Conclusion
24:04 Raw waveforms & sweeps

Leicht also shared this performance for two Minimoogs – vintage & reissue:

Check out the videos and share your thoughts in the comments!

26 thoughts on “Minimoog Model D – Reissue vs. Vintage Compared

  1. I’m confused (as usual). Is the “modern one” the 2016 reissue (that he seems to keep talking about) or the new reissue.

      1. no its not…2016 re-issue used NOS parts…until they ran out. To keep making them again the new 2022 re-issue had to use modern equivalent parts

  2. so bored of moog. specially on the eternal reissues and reviews of the reviews of the reissues.
    the only fresh idea moog had in the last years is subharmonicon, maybe dfam.
    please make it stop

    1. Subharmonicon & DFAM are modern classics.

      Moog One is one of the top 5 polysynths ever made.

      The Claravox is recognized by theremin players as possibly the best theremin ever made.

      Animoog Z is dirt cheap, but has a great synth engine, makes excellent use of MPE and is one of the best examples of iOS/Mac apps available.

      If Moog is ‘boring’, we need more boring synth makers.

          1. it like the list of “the best movies for 2023”, coming out in February of the same year. you can’t drive folks to the theater *after* the movie has left the theaters – so announce it in advance! nobody’s really keeping score.

            i would love a Moog One instead of all the other Moog’s I have. consolidation!

  3. The real difference is how they are made. The old ones can easily repaired to last many years, the new ones if the main board is bad you just throw it away. And that fact comes from someone with extensive repair background.

      1. they’re referring to practice of scraping boards – nobody actually throws it away entirely unless it’s a very small, and very cheap board. the point is the modern manufacturing fallacy that “it’s cheap er to throw it away, than to pay a tech to fix it” never happened. and if they are, they don’t understand the process, or they’re seriously doing it wrong, or the tech is very poor at their job.

        Kirk Out!

  4. Who bassist John Entwhistle once said “I enjoy playing heavy metal, but listening back to it is like sniffing one’s own farts.” Comparing original and re-issued synths is like that. If you need a Moog, pick one and get on with your music. Even claiming that you can hear much of a difference is just too damned precious, princess. I have owned a few Moogs and even the softsynth versions can make a bass cabinet bounce.

  5. All modern Moogs have serious repair issues waiting to happen, including the new Model D. That keyboard is waiting to die and is irrepairable. Caveat emptor

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