Ah ok, well hopefully someone with an OT (that’s not me!) can help
From the OT manual:
Maybe the problem is in gain settings?
Yes, the Grandmother definitely isn’t quiet.
Thank you no-thanks!
I should been on this forum a long time ago! The prompt replies are very heartening!
I hesitated to post too many details earlier, for fear that people would hesitate to reply to a long post…
I actually troubleshooted (troubleshot?) the internal gain stuff with the people from Sweetwater:
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With the OT AB Gain set to 0 and the master volume on Grandma at 12 o’clock (lowpass filter at 5 o’clock, mixer module set to 12 o’clock for both oscillators, playing F0 with footings of 16’ and 8’) the Grandmother was barely audible over the ambient noise of the house and was inaudible when the OT preset “05_Elop 19” was played.
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With the OT AB Gain set to 0 and the master volume on Grandma at 5 o’clock (all other settings remained the same) the Grandmother was still so soft as to be unusable, despite the relevant monitor lights on the OT’s being orange.
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With the OT AB Gain set to +63 and master volume on Grandma at 5 o’clock (all other settings remained the same) the Grandmother was maybe about 4/5ths as loud (I know, oddly specific, but that’s what I have in my notes) as the OT preset “05_Elop 19”–so, loud enough to use, I guess, but the monitor light on the OT was almost solid red.
It also doesn’t appear to be an issue with my headphones or amp: I’ve compared OT preset samples to direct samples of Grandmother on both, with similar results in each case.
I ran similar diagnostic tests direct sampling the Digitakt’s “BD Digit” sound via the AB inputs (i.e., I used the OT to direct sample the DT):
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With the DT’s master volume at 12 o’clock and the OT’s AB Gain set to 0, the direct sample was about half as loud as the OT preset “05_Elop 19”–so loud enough to use, I suppose.
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With the DT’s master volume at 12 o’clock and the OT’s AB Gain set to +63, the direct sample was about 3/4 as loud as the OT preset “05_Elop 19”. The OT’s monitor lights were mostly green with some faint orange.
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With the DT’s master volume at 5 o’clock and the OT’s AB Gain set to +63, the direct sample was roughly 1/4 louder than the OT preset “05_Elop 19”. The OT monitor lights were red, decaying through orange to green.
For all of these, I had DIR at 127. When direct sampling the Grandmother, I had INAB set to A. When sampling the Digitakt INAB was set to AB.
So…I guess it’s not the gain? IDK
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OOOK that’s helpful!
Do you have an OT?
If so, how loud is the OT direct sampling GM with gain at 0?
I used to, but sold it. And I always sent audio to the Octatrack via a mixer.
This thread will help:
Awesome! Thanks for taking the time to post.
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I haven’t had any hardware synths (aside from small stuff like Volcas) in quite some time, but have been sort of passively looking around for a while for “the one”. Anyway, long story short, a store here in Tokyo was running an autumn sale this week and had a really good deal on their last Grandmother Dark, so I impulsively pulled the trigger last night. I’m pretty certain I’ll get along with it as it ticks all the boxes for my tastes (although it’s a bit big for my space). Anyway, it’s my first Moog so I’m really excited for it to arrive.
One question, do people recommend the Moog soft case for it? It’s a bit pricey, but as I don’t have a great spot to park the Grandmother permanently right now, I’m thinking maybe of getting that to store it in between sessions. Will it fit all the patch cables and power adapter?
@Sleepyhead I’m happy to join the club and excited to pair it with the SP404. Hopefully I’ll have some stuff to post up in the hip hop thread at some point. I’m really looking forward to lots of sonic experiments. I have quite a few pieces of gear that I think will be interesting to try with it.
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run external audio thru the grandmothers filters and spring reverb for additional fun!
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Congrats on getting it! I’ve had mine for 4 years now and it’s the 1 synth that will never leave my studio.
Great for mono bass, leads and especially fx. Also, with the sp404mk2 you can sample mono sounds and play them polyphonically!
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Oh damn, I hadn’t even considered that! Sweet! Thanks!
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Nice!!!
IMO it embodies the spirit of all the little Moogs, and the big modulars alike. Like a Model 10 or 15?in the body of a MicroMoog or Prodigy. It’s the one classic “East Coast”-ish analog that I plan to always hold onto until (or beyond) the age my first synth (MicroMoog) was when I got it. It’s quite an incredible instrument. I also have the dark version, and it just commands me to play it at every opportunity.
It’s basically the perfect simple analog monosynth. (With extras.)
Congrats!
It’s also IMO, the East Coast equivalent of the Buchla Music Easel. If Bob wanted to make something like the Easel, I think it would have come out very close to the Grandmother.
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This is the first Moog keyboard I’ve ever owned, and though I got the Matriarch and a Prophet 6, the Grandmother is my most favorite by far.
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Wow, getting me even more excited. I love the look of the Dark one as well. I would have been very happy with the original too as I dig the funky 70s aesthetic, but the Dark one is just so classy looking, and I think it will really invite me to play it.
I think it will make a nice companion to the Rhodes and Wurlitzer sounds from my Reface CP.
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The GM arrived on Saturday, and I was able to get a few hours in on it. I absolutely adore it. After repeatedly failing to bond with synths over the years, my hunch was that my ideal synth was probably a Minimoog or ARP2600 based on the sounds I like. The GM confirms that my suspicion was right, as it kind of has that Minimoog vibe and the Dark one looks a bit like the Rogue (which was always one of my favorite looking Moogs).
I’ve barely scratched the surface, but the basic tone/timbre is just so pleasing, that I know it’s the right one. Surprisingly, I also REALLY like the size, even though it’s not the most practical size for my space. It feels like a proper instrument, and is just so comfortable to play. The retro vibe makes me feel like I’ve gone back to another era, which is awesome. Like a vacation from reality.
I’ve actually been pairing it with my Vermona Retroverb Lancet, which I picked up at the start of the year, and it’s a pretty great combo. I’ve never managed to master the Vermona, so this feels like a great chance to do so. The reverbs are surprisingly different, so it’s nice to have the choice, and the drive really compliments the Moog. Tons to explore.
I have yet to run the GM through my Strymons (Volante, Deco, and Flint), but that’s the next experiment.
I’ve always been more a guitar and sampler person than a synth person, but I’m curious what synths or modules people are pairing with the Grandmother to expand its capabilities? I saw some videos of people pairing the Grandmother with an ARP2600, and I was kind of drooling. If I had the space, it’s definitely a combo I’d like to try, although I’m not adding anything for a long time as I want to thoroughly explore this thing, and its relative simplicity/approachability is the big draw for me.
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I have the soft case for the matriarch (it came with my matriarch purchase last year). It’s definitely high quality and if I actually needed it I would be ok with spending the money to buy one.
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I got the Grandmother as a jumping point into eurorack but I have still yet to actually get any modules which is probably for the better (for my wallet).
The only things I have paired my with grandmother in the eurorack sense are with my Matriarch, I’ll use the modules between the two of them. Also, previously, I used my A4 to sequence both but now I use the Hapax which gives me additional envelopes, LFOs, and fine control over the CV ins which is pretty much all I need personally.
Have fun with the Grandmother though. I tried selling mine but every time I turned it on and played it I knew that I couldn’t sell it, it just sounds soooo good. And while I love my Matriarch as well I still reach for my Grandmother just as much as I feel it does Bass sounds better (especially when you overdrive the oscillators).
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I don’t think you need modules yet.
Work through the patch bay first and your pedals. Then do a BUNCH of multitracking.
Moog has a video of Mike Dean multitracking the GM.
Once you feel real good with her, grab a DFAM.
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Cool. Yeah. Definitely not adding anything for a long time, but just curious how people are using it with other gear. Curiosity killed the cat, I suppose, so probably should even ask. Haha.