Unlike the '70s synth, the LP has no noise generator. Rather than the six fixed waveforms offered on a Minimoog, the LP's VCO waveforms are continuously variable and range from a smooth triangle waveform to a thin pulse wave, via the traditional sawtooth and square waves which form the basis of all simple synthesis. The VCOs have individual volume controls, which is far preferable to the single 'balance' control you find on many modern synths. The oscillators have four octave settings (16', 8', 4' and 2') Oscillator 1's fine tuning is determined by the global tuning control, while Oscillator 2 may be tuned up or down a perfect fifth relative to Osc 1. LP has two voltage-controlled audio oscillators (VCOs) and an LFO which is used solely for modulation - its direct signal can't be fed into the mix. The simple, logical front-panel design scheme is clean and uncluttered, and helps make programming quick and easy. Each of the master controls is surrounded by a ring of 15 miniature blue LEDs which show the current setting - these look great and provide useful visual feedback when creating or editing sounds. The oscillator control knob now controls Oscillator 2's tuning until such time as you assign it a different parameter. To assign (say) Oscillator 2's pitch to the master oscillator control, you simply press the 'OSC 2 FREQ' button, which will obligingly glow bright blue. The reason for this is that rather than pursuing the old 'one-knob-per-function' approach, the synth has four master rotary controls (one each for modulation, oscillators, filter and envelope generators) which can be assigned to a variety of parameters via 26 push buttons. Though the LP offers massive sonic control, it features fewer knobs than you'll find on a vintage synth. These give the LP a truly sci-fi feel - I kept turning off the lights in my music room so I could admire it glowing in the dark. The unique curvy shape gives the unit a distinctive and stylish look, but for me the killer design feature is the intense blue backlighting of the pitch and mod wheels (a feature borrowed from the Voyager) and the big, bright circular blue and purple LED's. Wooden side panels add a nice vintage touch, a nod to Dr. In tribute to its maker, this bears Bob Moog's embossed signature rather than the iconic Moog logo. The back view reveals a sharply concave silver-white metal surface running the length of the instrument. You Got The LookĪs you can see from the photos, the LP has some unusual and eye-catching design features: the control panel is fitted at a 45-degree angle which emulates the adjustable tilt of a Minimoog control section, but unlike the Mini, the LP's panel is fixed in position and won't come crashing down on your fingers at the slightest provocation. Congratulations to Doctor Bob and the manufacturers for not compromising on this important point. The word 'professional' springs to mind, and better still, the synth will work straight out of the box with anything from a 90 to a 250 Volt power source. I'm very glad to say that unlike most of its competitors, this synth has a proper built-in power supply rather than one of those hateful little wall-wart adapters. Played from an 88-note master keyboard, you can access the full range over MIDI without any button-pushing, but the LP's compass extends still further - its analogue oscillators produce discrete musical pitches over nearly nine octaves, virtually the entire MIDI note range. A pair of octave buttons allow the player to access two lower and two higher octaves, giving the keyboard an effective playing range of seven octaves. The LP has a three-octave (C to C), 37-note keyboard - this is seven notes fewer than the Voyager, which (like the original Minimoog) goes down to a low F. To British ears, 'Little Phatty' sounds like a childish nickname designed to hurt the feelings of a younger sibling, so to avoid tears at bedtime let's call the little fellow 'LP' for short. The result is the Little Phatty monophonic analogue synthesizer, Bob Moog's last design and parting legacy to the North Carolina-based company who carry on his work and his name. While the top-of-the-range Voyager roamed the galaxy, notching up stellar reviews and accolades from star players, the man whose surname is virtually synonymous with the word 'synthesizer' was down on earth designing a more stripped-down instrument which would offer classic Moog features in an attractive yet affordable package. Before his death in August 2005, Bob Moog worked tirelessly on the development of a new synth aimed at those operating with restricted finances (in other words, practically the entire musical community). The man may be gone, but the legendary name and instruments live on. Bob Moog's final project carries his visionary synthesizer design into the future.
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