Moog Prodigy Sounds

This is a short sound example of my Eurorack Moog Prodigy clone that I have designed. Here you can hear the more exotic sounds that Prodigy can produce with PWM and OSC FM. Only a little bit of reverb is added.

Moog Prodigy information

Here are some good sources of Moog Prodigy technical information:

- Dusty Schematics has a nice explanation of Prodigys keyboard circuit (Part I and II --> January/February)
- E-Music DIY Archive is a great source of Moog manuals. Here you can find the Prodigys Service Manual and also the circuit description part (prod5-prod8)
- Sequence 15 has a nice explanation of Prodigys sawtooth VCO core
- David Morrin has a great troubleshooting page of Prodigy. Here is a good explanation of Prodigys VCO-heater circuit and how to check that it is working

Moog Prodigy is Alive!

My Eurorack version of this legendary Moog synthesizer is now ready! Everything works as expected and the sound is genuine Moog sound. The prototype frontpanel is just a raw aluminium panel where I clued the printed panel layout. When I am 100% sure that this is how I want it then I order the final frontpanel from Schaeffer AG. Next I must make some sounds with this synth and put them on SoundCloud!

Depth of the synth is only about 20mm.

PCB's are connected with the red cables.

Calibration to technical specifications.

Prodigy in my Eurorack case with modified Doepfer Wheels-module and Verbos keyboard. The two jacks in the Wheels module are the PWM-inputs for VCO1 and 2.

Moog Prodigy Progress 1

All the resistors are in place.

Moog Prodigy Euro PCB's are here!

At last I am here! ITEAD has produced these beautiful PCB's in China. Now I can start to build my Eurorack version of Moog Prodigy. My version has these modifications:

- VCO2 manual PW-adjust
- option for external PW-modulation for both VCO's
- drone mode (VCA full on) with switch
- sync contour control with filter AD (amount can be controlled with pitch wheel)
- VCO1/2 external CV-control (V/Oct)
- filter external FM-input
- gate-input
- keyboard CV-input (V/Oct)

Deep Listening

Pauline Oliveros talks about the difference between hearing and listening. Great stuff!

Electric Shock 2016 and Erkki Kurenniemi

Sähköisku 2016 happening took place in Tampere's Music Academy located in the beautiful Pyynikki area of Tampere. Music Academy is a learning environment shared by music students of TAMK and Tampere Conservatoire, a private institute providing education in music and dance. Sähköisku 2016 showcased the academy's music technology and electronic music students together with the dancers of academy. High light of the happening was the lecture of Erkki Kurenniemi's instruments by DIMI-trio and the concert of the evening by the students and DIMI-trio.

Erkki Kurenniemi is a Finnish electronic music pioneer. He is best known as an inventor of electronic music instruments from 1963-1973. DIMI-trio is an electronic/experimental music group performing with Erkki Kurenniemi's electronic instruments. Kai Lassfolk played DICO, Mikko Ojanen played DIMI-A and Jari Suominen played the Electric Quartet instrument. Electric Quartet is a collective instrument consisting of a main unit with tone generators and a sequencer and a set of controllers for electrical saxophone and drum machine. DICO is a monophonic synthesiser with a digital sequencer and DIMI-A is a two voice synth with a sequencer equipped with a digital memory. DIMI-A is probably the most noticeable of Kurenniemi's instruments because of it's futuristic touchpad interface. Here is good SOS-article of Erkki Kurenniemi (http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/sep13/articles/erkki.htm).

DIMI-trio's music has a lot of personality with raw digital sounds but also interesting and beautiful sound's with surprisingly warm touch. I think this demonstrates clearly the fact that with human touch the most bizarre digital machines can produce warm music with lot of depth and character.

Thanks to the Academy for a very inspiring day!

Music Academy's Pro Tools Studio

Verde Audio's tube gear.

Music Academy's Euro-modular.

DICO in good hands.

DIMI-trio in action. From left to right; DICO, DIMI-A, Electric Quartet.

DIMI-A's user interface.

Electric Quartet with sax and drum controllers.