Returning Minimoog Model D analogue synth will unleash your inner Kraftwerk
Come on, Moog. Let your body move to the music
It’s hard to overstate the impact of the Minimoog Model D. The original synth rocked up in 1970 and was instrumental (oho!) in shaping the sounds of Kraftwerk, Giorgio Moroder, Phil Collins and Gary Numan – and with it, swathes of popular music. Moog’s now spruced up its analogue classic, without losing what made it stand out in the first place.
Authenticity is the key to this latest edition. There’s the hand-finished aluminium chassis, secured to a handcrafted Appalachian hardwood cabinet. Moog says all components have been “carefully sourced and crafted to capture the indescribable feeling of the original Minimoog Model D”. And then there’s the sound. According to Moog, the sound engine and signal path remains identical to the machine engineered in the 1970s.
Mod squad
However, authenticity only takes you so far, hence why this latest model retains modifications made for the 2016 reissue. These include a dedicated analogue LFO with triangle and square waveshapes, a premium Fatar keybed with velocity and after pressure available via top panel CV jacks with onboard trimpots, MIDI integration, and, finally, improved pitch wheel calibration. If that all baffles, you’ll understand this one: the mixer feedback modification that allows the Minimoog Model D to overdrive and scream with the turn of a knob. (Scream is a good word when it comes to synths, right?)
For 2022, you also get a spring-loaded pitch wheel that returns to centre on release. This was apparently a popular artist request that handily aids playability and “wild performance flourishes”. There are also improvements to MIDI, to let you more seamlessly integrate the unit into modern studio set-ups, instead of it sulking in the corner while you glue yourself to ProTools for the umpteenth day a row.
The tiny snag? All this greatness doesn’t come cheap: the new Minimoog Model D will set you back £5999/$4999, which is enough to make even fans Pink Floyd cough loudly (and then turn said cough into a 23-minute prog rock classic). Still, if that’s a bit rich, you can always grab the authentic app version instead. It now works on Mac as well as iPhone/iPad and is currently on sale for 50% off at £12.99/$14.99. Barg.
Craig Grannell
Contributor 
